Becoming His Angel
by Chocobocolina
Summary: While being the twin sister of Cloud and having a relationship with Reno, the infamous Turk, life couldn't be any better - that is, until Amalia discovers that he and the rest of the Shinra group have been keeping secrets about her safety. How will she muster the courage to live through the lies, deceit and love that surround her every day life as a former AVALANCHE member?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone and welcome to my very first fanfiction Becoming His Angel. I have written in the past but this is the first time I have ever posted one of my creations and I hope everyone who reads enjoys what I have provided! Reviews and comments are always welcome and much appreciated! However, please remember to be nice – this is still my story that I created and I apologize if there is something you don't agree with.**_

_**Now, this story is rated M for a reason – there will obviously be swearing/language, violence, nudity, sexual themes and potentially other themes (I think I'd ruin the story if I relayed what other themes there would be!). I will try my hardest to mention in the beginning of every chapter if there will be either limited/explicit sexual themes but, if I do somehow forget, I apologize. If you do not appreciate reading and understanding these themes, then this story is, quite possibly, not the story for you. However, if you don't mind, then please, enjoy!**_

_**Side note:**__** My original character's name is "Amalia" and her nickname is "Ashe". For those of you who have played other Final Fantasy games will know that this names derives from Final Fantasy XII as Princess Ashelia's alias during the very beginning (Amalia) and the name she is referred to throughout the rest of the game (Ashe). I know it might seem weird to borrow a name from a different FF game but I couldn't resist – I absolutely love these names. Always have ever since I started playing FFXII years ago. If this does become bothersome for some people, please let me and I will change it.**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

_**PHEW! Long Author Introductory Note and I apologize! Please read Becoming His Angel and I hope everyone appreciates what I have written! :3**_

~ oOo ~

"Name?"

Sitting at a cherry wood desk piled high with papers, a young man glanced at an open, somewhat thick folder in his hand, his eyes fixed solely on the content he was engaged into reading. The man ran a hand through his dark brown locks, his eyes never once leaving the one name he decided to concentrate on. After a few moments of silence, the young man turned his gaze upwards at the person he labeled as his assistant who stood in front of the desk, arms held behind his back; the young man was waiting for the answer to his monotone question.

"Amalia Strife, sir." The young man cringed and slightly smiled at the sound of the name.

"And you're sure that this is truly her?"

"Positive. We've cross-referenced her name and the town that she now resides me. Based upon that, we've interviewed several people asking about her personally – what she does, where she came from and if she's done anything significant in the past few years. But it's definitely her, sir. There's no one else on the planet with that name that originally derived from Nibelheim; especially considering where she lives."

"And that would be…?"

"Edge, sir; the city next to Midgar." The young man nodded at this answer. _After all these years…_

"Perfect." The assistant cleared his throat and the young man peered at him over the top of a particular paper he was still gazing at. "What is it?"

"Sir, if I may ask a question."

The young man sighed, the folder falling from his fingers onto the desk with a _thunk_ that echoed throughout the room. "If you think it is worth my time, then ask."

"What are you planning to do with this…_Amalia Strife_…once you find her?"

Snickering, the young man leaned his elbows against the wood of his desk and held his chin in his hands. His cold eyes pierced right through the assistant who stood in place as diligently as he could muster. The force of the stare from his boss was causing him to become uncomfortable but he couldn't afford to show any weakness. He had heard the stories of the previous assistant before him who had displayed weakness. And he was never heard from again. The assistant swallowed the bile currently rummaging through his throat. After a few quiet, desolate minutes, the young man arched a cocky eyebrow and finally asked "Are you sure you want me to provide you with that information?"

"Only if you think I can handle it, sir." _Oh, this assistant is smarter than the last one_, the young man thought to himself.

But he shook his head. "No, I don't think now is the time for you to know. But," the man stood from his seat and walked towards his assistant who began to tremble, but immediately any fear he might have had vanished. Standing directly in front of his assistant, the two men were nearly eye level. "I will tell you that this woman is the key to my plans for saving the world. In due time, you shall see. We all shall see how marvelous of a woman this _Amalia Strife_ truly is!"

"That is vital information, sir; I thank you for sharing this with me." He bowed, out of politeness. "What is it you would like me to do now?"

"Gather as much information as you can about this woman."

"Anything in particular?"

Briskly walking away from his assistant, the man sat in his chair and reclaimed the top paper from the folder into his hand, staring at the picture it provided of the woman he had been searching for. She eluded his dreams, seared his memories and scorched his ability to gain any sleep. Her different colored eyes within the photo penetrated into the very soul she claimed he didn't have. The assistant stood there, not knowing whether to just leave or wait until his boss gave him another answer.

"I want you to discover whether she is romantically involved with another person."

"Uh, sir?"

"Just do it!"

"Yes, sir!" Fleeing from his spot, the assistant left the growing anger of his boss, not wanting to see what the he would do if he had stayed behind and asked more questions.

As the door behind his assistant clicked shut, the young man swiveled his chair around until he facing the glass windows which covered the entire wall behind his desk. Paper still in hand, he had let his anger get the best of him. And it was all because of _her_! He crushed his hand around the paper, crinkling the section around the picture. Breathing deeply and forcing his anger aside, he released his grip and stood, walking closer to the windows and examined the scenery outside his office. Closing his eyes, he pictured the attractiveness of her picture within his mind, not once forgetting how beautiful she had always been. The slits of his eyes barely opened, his teeth clenched together and he could taste the metallic sense of blood within his mouth.

"I've finally found you, Amalia. And this time, I won't let you out of my grasp."

~ oOo ~

Off in the distance, an alarm clock sounded, sending an annoying, constant ring across the room the tiny device was trapped in. A hand slammed down on the device, turning its maddening sound off for good. Sitting up and pulling the covers off of her slender body, a young female stood from the bed, long tresses of dirty blonde hair fell across her back. Stretching towards the heavens, she locked her hands above her head and popped her back in several places; a groan escaped her lips. _That felt amazing_, she thought.

Looking down towards the blinking numbers on the clock behind her, she noticed that it was a few minutes before seven in the morning. Walking across the hardwood flooring towards the window, she parted the curtain and noticed the sun was barely leaking across the horizon; it was time for a new day. Grinning, the young lady walked back across the room to her closet, rubbing the sleep from her weary eyes. Looking through the hole in her room that held all of her clothes, she came across her spandex running shorts and a tight, blue tank top. Grabbing these items, she quickly changed into a sports bra and placed the other items of clothing over her body as well.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she pulled her knees to her chest and held them there for a while. Her mind wondered to things she didn't really want to think about so early in the morning, but she couldn't help herself. Her eyes wandered across the wood flooring and the plastered walls, until they landed on a calendar pinned to the wall next to the nightstand. Decorated with chocobos and moogles of various colors, she eyed one particular date that was circled in red. Stand, the girl made her way to the calendar as her fingers traced the date _May seventeenth_; the last day she had seen _him_. He was her rock, the person she had been with the longest and the one person she wanted to desperately see every day.

And almost four weeks later, she still hadn't seen his face. His boss had sent him and his colleagues on an important mission and he had told her they would be gone for an extended amount of time, but she hadn't anticipated just how long he would be gone. He had been dispatched on longer missions, but each before this one had brief interval periods where they were able to see each other for a day before he had left again. Occasionally he would have the free time to call her and assure her that he was safe and sound, but the fear that she wouldn't see him again was always present within her heart. But after all the years they had been together, she held a faith within him that wasn't about to disappear. She knew he would come back; it was only a matter of time. Every day she had to remind herself that she never wanted to be one of those girls who obsessed over their man and had to know where he was every second of the day. She trusted him with her life and if she had to wait several more months until she had the chance to see him again – then so be it.

Walking back towards the bed, she sat down and placed her feet in a pair of running shoes then spent a few minutes stretching her still-limp muscles before finally treading downstairs. Ridding her thoughts about her man, she pounced down each step; she could hear the whispers of people downstairs, each talking to the other even though it was still fairly early in the morning. Landing on the final step, she stayed in place, wanting to overhear the voices, both a female and a male, that were speaking just a few feet from around the corner.

"Are their many deliveries today?"

"No…not many. Just a few, I shouldn't be home as late as I usually am but…we'll see." The young lady hiding on the stairs stifled a giggle as she heard the two speak to one another. Stepping out from her hiding space, she entered the main area of the building; a bar took up most of the area to the left with chairs and small tables sat in front of the counter and covered the rest of the available space. The two people who were talking turned to look at the person who had just came down the stairs. With long, almost-black tresses of her own, the female smiled and handed a glass of milk to the other female. "Well there you are, Amalia. I didn't think you were going to go for a run today."

The girl laughed. "Yeah I know, but I decided that it was ok to sleep in for once."

"Sleep in? You set your alarm to go off at seven. Would you count that as getting the chance to sleep in?"

"I would, considering I'm almost always up before that on a daily basis." The girl sat down on a barstool; the male stood next to the corner before deciding to take a seat as well. "Hey Tifa, you starting to make breakfast?"

Tifa laughed. "Of course, but all I have so far is toast." She grabbed a plate from behind that held a few already prepared pieces, all golden brown and crispy with a few that were already buttered and ready to eat.

"I'll take that!" She grabbed one and took a bite and grabbed another before she could even finish the first. The already melted butter melted some more in her mouth and she smiled in happiness.

"Ashe…" The girl turned to look at the male who was now sitting beside her, a piece of toast caught in her mouth; her wide, blue and green eyes staring at him. She radiated a loving heat on the inside at the nickname her brother had given her when they were younger. Cloud was one of two people who ever called her that and they were the _only_ ones allowed to call her such a name and everyone knew that. "If you're going for a run, you need to eat more than toast."

Amalia smiled and swallowed the bite she had taken. Shrugging her shoulders she grabbed a third piece from the plate and laughed. "I'll be alright Cloud, you know how I am."

"Doesn't make it right on your body, Ashe."

"Touché, but would it make you feel better if I said I wasn't even hungry?"

Cloud's blue eyes turned in her direction as Tifa stood behind the counter, mesmerized by the sibling encounter that has happening in front of her eyes. "Then how come you're eating toast?"

Looking at the piece in her left hand and the other in her right she sighed. "Why do you have to be so technical?"

"Because I know you hate it." In reply to her brother's words, Amalia stuck her tongue out and mumbled to herself, continuing to shove pieces of toast into her watering mouth.

Still being ignored, Tifa stifled a laugh and the siblings turned their attention back to the bartender. "Do you two realize how cute you are right now?"

"_Cute_?" Both she and Cloud asked in unison.

"Yes! Don't you guys remember I grew up with you as children? I know how you two have always acted towards one another. But to see it now is priceless."

Cloud narrowed his eyes at her. "Priceless…alright, a word I never thought I'd choose. We're just being us and doing what we always have done."

"Exactly. But you, my dearest Cloud," Tifa leaned forward and pecked a kiss upon his cheek. "Will never understand."

"Oooooooo lala!" Blushing from the small intimate moment between her brother and Tifa – his girlfriend and he longtime friend – she swiveled in her barstool seat and laughed hysterically. "You two are so _priceless_!"

"Hey! Don't go stealing my word!"

"Sorry!" She smiled, flashing her teeth indicating she meant no harm. "But it was too good to pass up!"

"Yeah, yeah…" On the stove behind her, the meat Tifa had been grilling produced a sizzling sound which, as the seconds ticked on, grew louder until she had to turn her attention back to her cooking. "Damn it you two! You'll make me burn breakfast if I keep ignoring it!"

"We can't make you do anything, Tifa." Cloud responded nonchalantly. The bartender turned her head and stuck her tongue out of him before flipping the many sausages that were still cooking in the pan.

"Hey don't go stealing my sticking-out-tongue-action!"

"Sorry," Tifa winked in Amalia's direction." Too good to pass up."

Amalia finished the remaining slices of toast she had in her hands and stood from her seat. Leaning back, she stretched the too-tightened muscles, hoping to relieve them for her upcoming run. Cloud turned to her.

"Sure you don't want to eat?"

"Yes Cloud. If I eat it'll make me sick." She started to head towards the door then back-tracked her steps to her brother. "Oh yeah, did you need my help with any of the deliveries today?"

"No, I'll be fine for today. But I might need your help in a couple of days. A customer has several packages that need to be delivered to Kalm and I won't have enough room on _Fenrir_ to deliver them."

"Sure, no problem! Give me a date and time and I'll be there!" Heading to the door once again, she held her hand on the doorknob. "Alright, I'm off! I've got my cell if you need anything!" With a _click_ of the door shutting, Cloud turned his attention back to Tifa who had a plate of sizzling sausages in her hand. Placing the plate of the counter, she looked at Cloud.

"You're sister is something else, isn't she?"

"Ashe is Ashe **(1)**; we wouldn't want her any other way."

"That's true."

"And we all love Amalia for being herself and not pretending to be someone she's not."

"You more above everybody else in the world."

Cloud's hand reached out towards the plate that had the toast on it and smiled when he was only able to grab one; his sister, who said she wasn't even hungry, ate the entire plate of buttered bread. Taking a bite of the last piece, he glanced up at Tifa. "I highly doubt that."

Tifa arched an eyebrow. "You think there is someone out there who loves your sister more than you?"

"You don't?"

The bartender shrugged. "Amalia just…doesn't seem like the person to be with another person."

It was Cloud's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"

~ oOo ~

_**Author's notes:**_

_**(1): This is the quote from Advent Children when Tifa is on the Shera and she says "Cloud is Cloud" as he is fighting Kadaj. I thought it would be funny if Cloud had applied it to his sister. **_

_**Woot, first chapter complete! So…? What did everybody think? Worth continuing? I have a few more chapters done that I'll be posting soon. But just a warning, I'm in the middle of my final semester of school and will try my hardest to update as often as I can; but please bear with me!**_

_**Comments and reviews are welcome and I would love to know what other people think of it so far. I t might seem weird that I haven't mentioned the name of Amalia's "man" even though it is in the summary for the story. Even though people will know who he is (again, I'm still not mentioning his name!) I was trying to go for an added affect for when the name is revealed later within the story – next chapter, maybe? You'll have to keep reading and find out! But, alas, that is all for now. **_

_**Chocobocolina – out! :3**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_**And here is Chapter 2! I absolutely love writing this story – writing in general is just an amazing outlet, wouldn't some of you agree? Anyways, for those who already looked through the first chapter I'd like to thank you. I hope you liked what you read and I hope that this chapter will be just as good!**_

_**Again, comments and reviews are always welcomed; I would LOVE to hear what some of you are thinking! Is my writing any good?**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

Amalia's feet punched the ground as she flew against the wind.

After leaving the bar, she decided to quickly stretch her calve muscles one more time then she immediately began to run through Edge, the city both she and her brother, Cloud, and Tifa resided in after the fall of Meteor and the destruction of Midgar. It had been almost four years since the incident, and as Amalia bound her way through the ever-bustling and growing city; she only smiled at the progress the people of Gaia had made.

One by one her feet stretched across the city until Amalia found herself leaving the outer walls of Edge. Not knowing where she was headed, Amalia just followed wherever her feet led her. Looking across the scenery outside of the city, Amalia only wished that there was more greenery; more trees, more grass, and definitely more flowers. _Flowers_…Amalia laughed to herself. Her love of anything green had always been a trait of hers, but it started to grow more intense after Aeris' death, which is why she always, _always_ had a plant growing in her bedroom, no matter the season.

The more she ran, the more her breathing became ragged. Following the advice her mother had given her as a young child to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Her heart beat fast but she was able to continue at her steady pace. The blur of the people around her became a mirage as she ran passed everyone in the city. Some looked on at her graceful presence while others merely ignored her while they continued on with their daily lives. Glancing upon the people she could make out, and waved to all but a few, Amalia thought back to the bar when Tifa kissed her brother. Was she jealous? No – she had no reason to be. Did it make her giddy whenever she saw their "intimacy"? Always.

Was she happy for Cloud? Without a doubt – she had always hoped that the two of them would end up together and, even if it took some time, their "coupling up" was inevitable. After the fall of Meteor, Cloud had become distant – even to Amalia – because he couldn't cope with Aeris' death and how he blamed himself for her loss. But after the Reunion two years ago, Cloud had decided to take the chance and reconnect with all their friends, Tifa included. Since then, they had been together; _inseparable with limits_ could be a possible way to describe their reconnecting relationship. And Amalia couldn't have been happier for her brother. She knew Cloud was happy and if he was cheerful with his life, even if he had an _odd_ way of showing it, and the way he led it, then so was she.

_What is it about a run that is so refreshing?_ Amalia thought. The pounding of the feet, the beating of the heart and the thumping of the head was enough to clear anyone's senses. She had no idea where she was even heading and to her, that was the best part of escaping from life and "running away" but always "coming back." Every time she escaped, Amalia always imagined she was flying, having the ability to release some tension and think about her needs and what she needed. She could run and leap for leagues on end and always find a new spot she had never been to, each place allowing her to look back and recollected about the life she had been living up until that point.

Several thoughts ran through Amalia's head as the wind scratched her face. _Let's see, I attempted to join SOLDIER along with Cloud, I, unwillingly, had experiments conducted on my body that created me as I am today, I ended up saving the planet with my friends from a mass destruction of the world, I've helped people to take back their lives and live the fullest they can…_

As she continued to push her body towards the further limits she was granted during Hojo's insane scientific experiments, Amalia glanced back within just the last few years. She had, unimaginably, been granted the chance to fall in love with the perfect man that ever walked on Gaia. True, he wasn't actually _perfect_ per se, but to her, he was everything she never thought she would want in a man. He had killed people and so had she; he followed orders and did what he believed was right and as did she; he was the enemy and, technically, she was as well. Amalia's heart beat faster despite the pace she was pushing herself – she couldn't help but blush and become heated as his face molded from her memory. Whatever had happened in the past was done for and neither could escape what they each had equally done; all they could do was look into the future together and create a game plan for life they would diligently follow.

Glancing at the ground, she noticed that she was heading uphill and by the time Amalia knew what she was doing, she found herself standing above a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse of territory that separated Edge and where she stood. Her chest heaved up and down as her lungs began to reach a calm she hadn't felt since she began her morning run. Closing her eyes, it took a few minutes for her breathing to find a steady pace where she didn't feel so lightheaded. Opening her eyes to the bright sun that stood directly above her, Amalia once again scanned the vast area that surrounded her. She knew it was there she could feel its presence, she was just simply ignoring it until she could no longer overlook where her body had led her.

Standing directly in front of her was _the_ sword – the buster sword that had belonged to Zack. Amalia took a few steps forward until her hands grazed the metal underneath the handle. A smiled appeared on her lips and she laughed out loud. "Still rusting I see? Well I wonder how long it'll take before you're completely bronze." She looked into the sky. "Hey Aeris – you up there? You better tell Zack his sword's turning completely orange unless he tells someone to clean it up for him!" Amalia chuckled again until she had to hold her stomach, attempting to hold back a monster of a laugh. Neither anger nor sadness gripped the edge of her consciousness; the death of her friends had occurred years ago and she had enough time to mourn and come to the conclusion that they were never coming back. As much as she missed them both, she kept explaining to herself that they were in a better world – and they were together.

"Oh!"

_A chocobo is calling you, kweh! A chocobo is calling you, kweh!_

She twisted her waist around and grabbed the phone which was held in place between her hip and her shorts. The sound of her ringtone caught her off guard and another smile, a wider one, appeared on her face as she recognized the caller ID that flashed against the screen. Answering the phone, she said "Hello?"

"Well hey there cuteness, got a minute?" A male's voice protruded from her end and she could imagine the face of the one who was calling her.

Walking around on the edge of the cliff Amalia replied, "Yeah I've got a minute. I was just taking a break from my morning run."

"Oh, so you decided to take a run today? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"And why wouldn't it be? You know I like to go running, what's the harm in that?"

"N – Nothing, you just need to be careful out there. Anything could suddenly attack you out there."

"What's gonna attack me out here?"

"Anything creepy-crawly, has claws and will attack you for no apparent reason!" his voice was becoming heavy and Amalia could tell the idea of her being out on her own was bugging him.

"Hey, Turk," She flat lined her voice, purposely speaking in a monotonous degree of tone. "You do know who you're talking to, right? I was a part of AVANLANCHE; you know, the group who defeated Sephiroth, saved the planet and… Oh yeah! We kicked your ass as well!"

"Alright, alright I get the point. Just, promise me you'll be careful, ok? That's all I'm gonna ask for, yo."

"I shall do my best."

The man sighed on the other end knowing defeat was inevitable. Amalia was stubborn in her own right and he knew that, although she was listening to his _advice_, she wouldn't really take it when she didn't see a point. "Good, I guess I'll take that. So then, where did you head off too this time?"

"It's not a matter of where I wanted to go, but where my body decided to fly me too."

"Oh?"

"I'm at the cliff, looking at Zack's sword."

The male on the other end sighed and Amalia knew what he was going to tell her. "Babe…why do you torture yourself like that?"

"It's not torture, more like…reminiscing. It's been so long since I've feet any pain when I look at it." Amalia stopped pacing and stood directly in front of the sword again. "Besides, thinking back on the past isn't a bad thing from time to time." The male on the other end laughed a little and Amalia knew there was a reason why he had decided to call her; she could hear it in his voice. "Alright mister – spill. Why did you call me?"

"What? I can't simply call and talk to the most beautiful girl in the world?" Amalia remained silent for a minute. "Was that a bit much?"

She stifled a giggle. "I give you brownie points for trying."

"Damn," he muttered into the phone. "At least I tried, yo. But, in all seriousness, I want to see you. Do you have time today?"

Amalia closed her eyes and tried to think if there was anything she had to do today. "No, I think I'm free. I – wait! I just remembered! What about your mission? Is it over - are you finally back? How did it go?" She talked excitedly into her phone, unaware that the caller was attempting to get her attention.

"Ashe."

"Were you guys successful? Did everyone do ok?"

"Ashe?"

"What about you, did you have any -"

"_Ashe_!" She instantly shut her mouth and became silent. The voice on the other end immediately began to produce a full hearty-laugh; she knew there was a smile on his lips, something she wanted to desperately see for herself; to touch, to feel, to skim her own lips over his. Talking on the phone just wasn't enough for her anymore. "Angel, just calm down ok? The mission was a success and we're all ok. Well, almost all of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Hey, you answer my question first and I'll answer yours; are you free today?"

"Well of course I am; I told Cloud that if he needs anything he can call me. So until then, I can and will spend all my time with you, if that's what you're asking?" She smiled on her side and when the male chuckled at his, she could tell that he was still smiling. "If your mission is over, where you at? Your apartment?"

"No, I'm over at Healen taking care of a few things."

"Why are you there?" She gasped into the phone and clutched it tighter to her face. "You didn't get hurt did you?!"

"Are you kidding me? I'm invincible, yo. _I_ didn't get hurt but _Elena_ did. Nothing too serious, just a monster snuck up on her and slashed her arm pretty good. She'll be here for a few days." He heard Amalia release a breath, one she hadn't noticed that she had been holding. "We just got back within the last hour and I called as soon as I had a moment."

"Oh, well ok. So now that you're mission is done what's the plan? Do you still have to work for the rest of the day?"

"Nope, I was given a few days off because Elena's stuck here so the boss said we could go home. And I want to spend all my time with you. Would it be easier if I just met you at the apartment?"

"No, no! I'll meet you there. I'd like to say hi to everyone!"

"Uh, I'd feel more comfortable if I met you at my place babe."

"Seriously? What's going to harm me on the way to Healen? More monsters?"

"You never know!"

Amalia sighed into the phone. "Spill it mister, why are you being so protective right now? You're acting as if you don't want me out on my own."

He stayed quiet for a while, not quite sure how to provide an answer until he had no choice left; even if his only option was still truthful, it just wasn't the type of truthful information he wanted to be able to tell her. "Angel, we haven't seen each other in weeks other than a few rare phone calls. I've been worried sick about you and I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Again, one of the heroes who saved Gaia?"

"I know babe…" The man sighed once more, knowing, _again_, that defeat was certain and definitely in his future. "Alright, meet me here at Healen. But please _be careful_."

"Aye-aye, captain! I still want to see everyone else while I'm there as well!"

"And I'm sure they'd love to see you too."

"Give me some time to head back into town and to take a shower. I'd rather be clean when I see you then and not all…sweaty." Amalia gently touched my arm. "Oh, and sticky too." She couldn't help but to giggle.

"Aww…but I like it when you're sweaty." Amalia growled into the phone. "Ok, ok Ashe I get it. Just text me when you're leaving Edge, ok? And stay safe, make sure you're swords are in the bike with you."

"Will do, Turkey."

"Love you babe. Stay safe, yo."

"Love you too, Reno." And Amalia ended the call as the last word left her lips. The last word she loved to pronounce time and time again.

~ oOo ~

Now that she had plans, Amalia sprinted as fast as she could back to Seventh Heaven. Using the abilities she had acquired by pretending to be a First Class SOLDIER she jumped across rocks and skipped across mass sections of land until she reached the gates to the city. Running through the winding streets of the city, she narrowly avoided hitting people and always replied "sorry" if she accidently did hit someone; which she did – multiple times. Although it had been quicker than when she had started running earlier that morning, it seemed as if time passed rather slowly when she left the cliff on the outskirts of town, as if even the goddess of time wasn't pulling her strings before Amalia could see the one person she wanted to see and hold the most. But once her feet found their way home, she slowed her paced but barged into the door, tripping over the welcome mat that lay on the ground and tumbled inside the bar as the door burst open the closed with much ferocity as she stumbled her way into the empty building.

Tripping over her own two-feet, she performed several summersaults before her body decided to stop. Landing painfully on her back, she panted, unable to catch a smooth rhythm of breathing to calm her beating heart. Amalia looked up at the ceiling to find Tifa leaning over her with wide, curious eyes. "Amalia, are you all right? Why do you sound as if you're being chased?" The bartender held her hand out and Amalia grabbed it, somehow needing the help to stand on her own two feet. Her heart was still pounding against her ribcage and she had to take slow, deep breaths in order to concentrate on her thoughts.

"S-sorry… I was… I am…" Placing her hands one her knees she leaned forward and breathed until she could form a correct sentence. Tifa walked behind the counter and came back with a cold glass of water in her hand, which she gave to her friend. Smiling as she took the glass, Amalia drank the cup in a few gulps and held the empty glass in her hand. "Ahh, much better." Though her heart was still beating like crazy, she could somewhat breathe normally and that was good enough for her. "I was out running and got a call to go meet a friend who's out at Healen. So I ran back here so I could change and head there as fast as I could."

Tifa blinked her eyes a few times, nodded then took the empty glass from Amalia's hands before heading behind the counter again. "I didn't know you had any friends who were at Healen. Are they ok?"

"Oh yeah, they're fine. They were visiting a friend there and want me to pick them up. So I might not be back for a couple of days." Glancing up the stairs, she asked, "Is Cloud home?"

Tifa shook her head. "No, he got a call for a delivery so he's gone. Marlene and Denzel are also out, they're with Barrett."

"Ah, alright. Well, I'm gonna get ready, just holler if you need anything." And with that, she pounded up the stairs taking two at a time. Walking into her room, she shut the door and immediately began to discard the drenched clothing that was sticking to her glistening body. Jumping into the bathroom that was attached to her own room, Amalia took a quick shower, but was still able to shampoo and condition her hair, which now smelled like cherry blossoms, her favorite scent. When both her hair and body were scrubbed clean, she dried herself off and dressed into her clothes; short denim shorts, a white short-sleeved shirt with a black button-up over the white with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, then she put on her black ankle boots **(1)**, only tying the laces halfway where the top flaps fell downward. She towel dried her hair as best she could but left it, knowing the wind would dry it for her and straighten it at the same time, considering her hair naturally straightened all on its own. Grabbing a small duffel bag from her closet, she threw in a few pieces of clothes, mainly a several items of underwear and bras, and one or two shirts, depending if there was an item she particularly wanted to wear; everything else she could find at Reno's house.

Standing, Amalia looked at herself in the mirror that hung behind her door and she liked what she saw. There was a natural blush on her cheeks from running around her room but there was something missing. Her eyes widened when she realized that she wasn't wearing _the_ necklace. Grabbing a black box off of her nightstand, she opened it up and grabbed the jewelry that was safely inside. It was a flat sculpture of a chocobo where the beak and feet were silver but the feathers were a rich royal blue; her favorite color. Placing the necklace over her head, Amalia smiled at how the piece fit right at the spot where her breasts began to form along her chest. Happy with the end result of hurrying to get ready, Amalia looked at her phone and noticed that it was a little after eleven. _Oh, that's not too bad_, she thought. _If I leave now I should be there sometime after noon_.

Grabbing the semi-full bag off the floor and shutting the door behind her, Amalia made her way downstairs where Tifa was still working behind the counter. She was scrubbing pots and pands, shot glasses and beer mugs. Considering she was also good at multitasking, she was preparing lunch, potentially for whenever the kids were to arrive back home with Barrett; but with all the excitement she had contained within herself, Amalia didn't even feel hungry. Tifa looked up from her work as she heard her friend walk down the stairs. "Leaving already?"

"Yep, I'm gone. Tell Cloud where I'm at and that I'm just a phone call away."

"Got it Amalia. Have fun, and tell your friend I said hi!" Tifa flashed a small smile and went back to cutting the sandwiches she was preparing, watching as her childhood friend walked out of her sight through the back door. She continued working on lunch, knowing that the kids would be home relatively soon. _Healen Lodge,_ she thought. _Why would she have any friends over there? I better mention this to Cloud when he returns_.

Amalia nodded her head and, this time, exited through the back door where she kept her bike; the precious bike that Reno had helped her choose. Closing the door behind her and locking it, she heaved the strap of her bag over her shoulders, instead of placing it in the end compartment, and pulled the cover off of her bike. Hers was similar to Cloud's, the only difference being hers was blue and she called it _Shiva_. Throwing a leg over the seat, Amalia ignited the beast and brought it back to life after a while of not driving it. Reaching down below where the speedometer was, she pressed a button and a compartment opened, revealing the special goggles Reno had given her as a gift for when she purchased the bike a year ago. They were an exact copy to the one's he always wore on his forehead; he had given her the gift because she always loved to play with his whenever she had the chance to snatch them off of his head.

Grabbing her phone out of the bag, she quickly sent a message to Reno saying she was about to leave and that she'd be there after twelve. Securing that the phone was safe once again in the bag that was on her back, she made sure that the goggles were securely in place over her eyes before she kicked the bike into gear as the wind instantaneously blew against her face. Within a matter of seconds, Amalia found herself already outside the limits of the city and when she found the sign directing her towards Healen, she couldn't help but smile as she turned _Shiva_ to follow the road the sign had guided her. _Soon baby, I will see you_.

~ oOo ~

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**(1): Specifically, my brain keeps thinking of the boots that are almost calf length and the top portion can hold over to give off the illusion of ankle boots. However you want to imagine it is up to you – just remember that they're boots and they are black.**_

_**And here we are at the end of the second chapter. I hope this one made people happy – Reno has finally entered into the story! Yay!**_

_**Reviews? Comments? Questions or concerns? I'd love to answer anything that might be probing your minds about this story. Until next time!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**Alas, I have created Chapter Three! I fell in love while writing this chapter and I don't know why. Maybe it's because this is my longest chapter yet? I'm not quite sure. I tried EXTREMELY hard to ensure that all the characters I introduced remained true to their original selves but, I will admit, that I **__**might**__** have put a little OOC in a few but I'm not sure. Please don't hate – appreciate! I tried my best and that's what counts doesn't it…?**_

_**Anyways, here is the introduction to Reno - finally! Come on, I know all of you have been waiting patiently for Reno to finally enter the picture and here he is! I hope he lives up to what everyone was expecting. :3**_

_**Nothing major happening in this chapter in regards sexual themes but soon! Just remember: patience is a virtue! **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

Amalia's legs were beginning to cramp after sitting on her bike for over an hour; she hadn't been on a semi-long journey that long in quite a while. The last trip she had taken that was fairly long was about a month prior with Cloud when she had helped him deliver a package to someone over towards the Chocobo Farm and an even longer one when they had traveled to Junon for a few days to negotiate with a client. But on this current trip, since she was all alone for the first time in a while, time seemed to pass by slowly and she mentally cursed time for being an ass, but before she knew it, Amalia was winding through the ever familiar mountain curves, making her way up to the entrance to the lodge.

Healen - a place which became a sort of "HQ" for the members of the _Shinra Electric Power Company_ after the fall of Midgar. It had also served as a place where Rufus could receive treatment for the geostigma he had succumbed too, just as Amalia and Cloud had. Although the medical treatment he had been using didn't work, there came a cure when an angel from above rained a cure on the people living in a fallen world. Though it had been two years since the incident of the geostigma outbreak, Healen was still used as a placed where the Shinra scientists could still work on their research and where people could head to if they were in dire need of any medical attention. Rarely that was the case, so the place was mainly used to house the original Turks if they had become injured. No longer was it the "HQ" operations for the company, Rufus had ultimate built a structure within Edge that served as his new Headquarters. It was a nice building and Amalia had always admired the structure and the layout – completely different than the original that lay in ruins in Midgar.

Ridding her mind of the past that wasn't so frightening the more she thought of it, Amalia looked up just in time at the building through her glasses as she made her way to the front entrance. Reaching the final curve, she thought she had seen a figure staring at her through the window but the blinds had closed before she could even begin to think of who it could be. Reno, Rude, Tseng – it could have been anyone. Hell, it could've been Rufus himself now that he wasn't sick anymore and was able to walk around on his own, without being confined to a wheelchair. Reaching the stairs, Amalia wheeled _Shiva_ around and sat on the bike for a few more minutes, again thinking about the past before she decided to head on up.

It also worked as a great excuse to rest her cramping legs for a bit as well.

It had been a rough couple of years after she and her friends had tried to save the planet from Sephiroth's wrath against the planet. She grew up despising the Shinra Company after what it had done to her, Cloud and Zack. But those feelings of anger were long past, especially now that she was with Reno, a man she _never_ would have thought she'd end up with. He was the man who had collapsed the plate onto Sector 7 - he was the man who had chased them as the enemy – and he was the man who had won her heart.

He had changed over the past few years and Amalia could see the difference. Reno was still his goofy, lazy ass self, but was still the hard worker she had always admired about him. Reno and the rest had acknowledged their mistakes and she had personally received an apology from all of them, even Rufus, and she could no longer hold a grudge. What would be the point if they each recognized their doing in what happened to the planet and the turmoil they indefinitely caused? Each day, she knew the small group worked their asses off to ensure that the planet remained as safe as it could be; safe enough for troubles they could handle within their limits. The love she held for the red-haired man grew from this conviction – she knew that Reno was working to keep the planet safe in any way he could. Her hate for the Turks had subsided a while ago, but the love she held for Reno and the world-saving group had only grown over the past few years.

Amalia sighed and turned off the engine to the bike, finally taking off the bag that was still around her shoulders and placed it in the secure compartment that was hidden underneath her seat as well as placing the glasses back in their safe place. _Why didn't I just place it in there in the first place? Was I that excited to leave? Uh…yes_, she thought.

Taking slow, yet wide strides, she gradually made her way up the oh-so familiar ramp; but looking up she noticed a figure in black standing against the railing, his back turned towards her. The closer she got, the more she could tell it was _him_. His red mane flowed against his back as a gale of wind picked up and tousled the strands of hair. God, how she loved his hair and always wanted to thrust her hands into it and play with whatever she could grab. The male turned as he heard footsteps from behind him and he fully turned towards her as Amalia reached the top of the ramp. His red hair flared in the afternoon sunlight, the red cheekbone tattoos glowed against his porcelain skin. Amalia stood at the edge of the ramp, simply staring at the man she hadn't seen in a few weeks. Her heart screamed at her to move and jump into his arms but her legs wouldn't move; they became jelly and she wanted to fall to her knees but held the railing for support.

"Amalia," Reno breathed. His voice was enough to ignite her legs and before he could blink, she had run up to him and jumped into his ever waiting arms, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. Her ashy blonde hair and his red clashed as he twirled her around the lodge deck; his hands tightened around her waist as hers crushed his neck. Reno brought her feet down towards the ground and crashed his hungry lips against her even hungrier ones. His large, masculine hand found her cheek, hers found his muscular chest; she could feel the warmth radiating off his chest through the opened work shirt he never cared to button. Their lips moved in one; if there were people watching them they didn't care – they only wanted each other. Amalia hoped that he was longing for her as much as she did him. But judging by the way his hands roamed her back, she already knew the answer. Reno pulled back and Amalia couldn't help but smile as she stared into his cerulean blue eyes.

Reno looked into the eyes of the woman he thought he would never love. He hadn't seen her face in a few weeks other than the picture he secretly kept inside of his wallet. It was a picture he had taken while she was unaware that he had a camera facing her. The sunlight captured and framed her face perfectly, creating a natural glow against her already beautiful features. She had been laughing at some joke he had said, her eyes lightly closed and her mouth slightly open, a small laugh escaping her lips. It was the only picture Reno kept of her on him at all times but it simply was not enough. They had been together for a few years and it was getting hard for the Turk to stay away from the only person who he had entrusted with his heart.

Her skin felt so soft under his and Reno could smell her scent of cherry blossoms which, after a while, had become his favorite fragrance as well. Her cupped her cheek and brought her lips back to his. "Well hello beautiful," he muttered as he pulled away for the second time.

"Hello handsome," she replied, her voice just as silky as he remembered it. Hearing her voice over the phone had never done him justice. Leaning down, he placed his forehead on hers, the two standing in the sunlight, basking in its warmth that it could provide the two lovers. Amalia looked into his eyes and brought her fingers to his cheek, lightly touching his red tattoos, a touch she had always done whenever Reno returned from a mission – it was something to ensure herself that he was there and that he wasn't hurt. It was stupid of her to always do it but it made her happy on the inside and she didn't want to let it go.

Reno released a sigh and leaned forward for another kiss. _God, I just cannot get enough of her_. This kiss was a swift one and before it turned into anything else, he pulled back and brought her hands into his. Cocking his head to the side he asked, "Miss me?"

Amalia followed the same move and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Reno's eyes widened slightly. "Why you little -" he was cut off by her lips. Pulling away, again, he said, "You know, we can just skip saying hi to everyone and just head back to my place." Amalia smacked his arm.

"No! I have to say hi to everyone, especially Elena. I want to see how she's doing." Reno held the spot where she smacked him and pretended that it hurt. "Oh you're such a baby."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"I am not."

"You're a baby when it comes to me."

He stopped and thought about what she said. "Ok, that's true, I can't argue with that, yo. Alright, let's go say hi so we can have some alone time for ourselves." Pulling Amalia's hand, Reno turned and opened the door to the main room of Healen. Amalia walked in as Reno shut the door behind her. The blinds along the opposite wall were open, letting in the sun's beauty and allowing everyone to see the nature that existed behind the building. Scanning the room, no one was inside and Amalia gave a quizzical look up to Reno, who stood almost a full head taller than her. He just shrugged his shoulders and was about to say something when the only other door in the room opened and Rude walked out, his sunglasses still covering his face and his Turk attire was perfect as it always had been. Rude's eyes looked up at the people in the building and before he could say anything as well, Amalia quickly ran up her lover's partner-in-crime and squeezed her arms around his muscular torso.

"Rude!" She smiled up at him as Reno stood by the front door watching what was happening in front of his eyes. A light blush grew on Rude's cheek's that hastily disappeared and he looked down at the random attacker. He, too, was taller than her and he ruffled the top of her head with his hand, a small smile forming on his lips as well, which was rare for the quiet, but deadly, Turk.

"Hey Amalia, didn't expect to see you here."

"I know. But I wanted to see everyone and I heard Elena got hurt. How is she doing?" Amalia tried to peek over the Turk's shoulders to see if the only female Turk was in the other room but she couldn't see anything at all.

"Elena? Oh she's fine. Tseng's with her now."

Amalia switched her gaze between Reno and his partner. "Am I allowed to go and see her?"

"Of course you are, Amalia, she isn't in critical condition." A third person joined the group, his all white cotton suit flowing in motion as he stood beside Rude, arms crossed across his chest; blonde hair, white suit with a smirk across his face - Rufus Shinra. Before, if Amalia had been in the presence of Rufus, she would have most likely punched him straight in the jaw; but that was before she had received all of their apologies and had seen firsthand exactly what the Shinra group was now up to. She was pleased with their progress and, before she knew it, Amalia had grown a fondness for Rufus within her heart – she could see the good he was trying to bring to the world and, knowing that, it made her happy to think she could say he was her friend.

Acknowledging the still President, Amalia held my hand out, waiting for him to shake it. "Rufus." He nodded his head and placed his hand in Amalia's extended one, but she pulled the man towards her in a hug, who actually chuckled and pulled away after a few seconds. "What?" she asked. "Afraid of a _girl_ giving you a _hug_?"

"No," he said weakly, nervously messing with his tie. "I am worried because your boyfriend is here in the same room." She glanced back at Reno who casually leaned against the door, his arms crossed against his chest, eyes gleaming at Amalia.

"What?" she asked him this time.

"Nothing," Reno said. "I just find it amusing that you want to hug everyone you see."

"Oh be quiet you, you're not the only one I can show affection too. And besides," Amalia looked back at Rude and Rufus. "These are people I haven't seen for a while; it makes me happy knowing they're safe."

"I appreciate your concern, Amalia, but I am perfectly fine."

"Nothing drastic since the geostigma incident, I hope?"

He raised an eyebrow at her and provided another smirk. "I could ask you the same."

Amalia showed the President her left arm, one of the places the nasty disease had struck her body a few years prior. "Nope! I'm all healed as well!" She smiled brightly at him.

He chuckled again. "You're nothing but smiles and laughter, aren't you?"

"No," Amalia immediately answered. "I've had my fair share of saddened moments that I'm probably sure you're aware of. However! Time has passed and we all need to look into the future. Isn't that right, Tseng?" Amalia peered to the left of Rufus at Tseng, the head of the Turks and the man who was one position higher than Reno. He had just appeared beside the President and, although she was glad to see him as well, sadly, she also used him as a scapegoat to bounce away from the topic they had suddenly found themselves discussing.

"I completely agree, Amalia. How have you been?" His firm face stayed the same, but Amalia could tell that he meant well.

"Oh, I've been good, you know me. Helping out at the bar when I can and also helping out with the delivery business. So, is Elena in there? Can I…?"

"Of course you can," Tseng stepped aside and gave room for Amalia to walk into the hallway that led to the rest of the rooms in the Lodge. "She's on the third door to your right. She's been hoping you would come and see her."

"Really? Well then I better not keep her waiting. Thanks!" She lightly slapped the Turk commander on the arm and hastily made her way down the hallway, knocking on the third door to the right once she had reached in. "Come in," a voice had called from the inside and she slipped in.

Still in the main room, the four men watched the back of the ashy blonde as she made her way down the hallway. As she walked into the door and shut it, the men looked at each other, not knowing how to bring up the next question that was on everybody's mind. But Tseng was the brave one to break the awkward silence that had befallen on the comrades. Looking at his Second-in-Command, Tseng said, "She looks good Reno. Has she been here long?"

Still leaning against the door, the red-head answered, his eyes wanting to discuss another conversation. "Nah, only about twenty minutes, yo. We spent some time outside but she wanted to say hi to you all. Oh and Elena too."

"Did you tell her anything about the mission?" Rufus interjected and looked at the Turk.

But Reno shook his head. "No, nothing. I know she's curious but all she's asked is how we did. I told her we were successful and how Elena got hurt, but that's about it. I know she'll want more details later, if she's really that curious."

"Make sure you don't tell her, she's not ready to know what's going on. We need to find out more -"

"Rufus," Reno interrupted his boss, looking at him dead square in the eye. "How long do you keep expecting me to lie to her? She's going to find out sooner or later, and I'd rather it be sooner so nothing extreme falls upon her."

"I am well aware of that, Reno, but until we have more information as to why we were sent those videos about her, I don't want her to know." Rufus returned the look. "Listen, say you did decide to come clean and tell her all about the last few missions you've been on; since the missions and these videos have been about her, wouldn't you want to be able to tell her everything that you could? To ensure that she's safe no matter what and that we've been trying to keep her safe?"

"Well…of course. But we would keep her safe no matter what! I think I can definitely say that everyone here would give their freaking life to save her." Reno glanced at Rude who nodded at his partner and then to Tseng who only pursed his lips, his silent way of agreeing without causing a fuss.

"Reno, I'm in the same boat as you. I _want_ to tell her what's been going on – that secretly we have been protecting her from an unseen enemy. But until we find out more – she is not to know. Do I make myself clear?"

Reno's hand turned into a firm fist and he had to restrain himself from slamming it into the wall behind him. All the fury that was growing within his body need to find an exit before he decided to do something drastic, acting out on pure rage rather than thinking logically of the situation and whether it would help at all. Taking a slow, even breath he asked, "And what gives you the right to decided that? Why do you think you get to decide what Ashe needs to know?"

Rufus gave a cold stare to his Second-in-Command, shocked at how Reno had decided to stand up to his boss with such brave words. _But at the same time, he has a point_, the President mentally thought. _Amalia and Reno are now in a relationship, the two of them should be making these decisions on their own. But…all I want to do is protect her. She has done nothing but showed me kindness when I deserve none. I want to use all the resources I have to find these madmen and bring them down._

The President sighed to himself and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Reno, listen, I get what you're thinking and I understand your concern. But I really think that this is the best choice we have."

"The best choice? To keep my girlfriend in the DARK?!" He was beginning to raise his voice and, out of the corner of his eye, Reno could see Rude staring him down, mentally tell him to relax and calm down. "Rufus, I've been following you for a long time but this…this is ludicrous!"

"Reno…all I'm asking you is to trust. Truly, I get it, this honestly could be the worst decision we could make, but I want to keep her in the dark until we can get as much information on this group as we can. When we finally tell her what's been going on, I want to be able to have all the answers to our questions so we can provide them for her. Or better yet, maybe we'll even have the chance to defeat them before she finds out. Isn't that what you would want?"

"I…" Reno immediately let go of the fist he had been holding, his fingers falling limp against the palm of his hand. Rufus was beginning to make sense, but, it still didn't feel right. "All I want is to protect her…" he whispered.

"And there's nothing wrong with that. But, I'll only ask this one more time: do I make myself clear with what I expect from you?"

The red-haired Turk remained silent for a minute before nodding his head. "Crystal, sir. But on one condition."

"And what would that be?"

"That if this all explodes in our faces and she blames me for lying to her, that everyone in this room, including Elena, will come clean and give her the truth. I agree, I'm doing this to protect her, but at the same time, I want to tell her. As her protector, I have the _right_ to tell her. If, down the road she finds out before we need to tell her, I don't want to take the responsibility or guilt for this. Deal?" His boss stood there quietly, his eyes darting back and forth between objects on the floor. "Rufus, I love that woman with all my heart," he gritted his teeth. "And I sure as hell won't let this _fucking lie_ ruin it. So is it a deal? Or not?"

The President watched his subordinate and only smiled. Reno had certainly come a long way over the past few years and, he had to say, that it was all because of her. Amalia had worked her magic underneath the skin of the infamous Turk and he hoped to god that whoever was sending those videos would eventually leave the poor girl alone. _She and Reno deserve a future they've been fighting to have for years. I want to ensure they will have that future_.

"Deal." Rufus turned to the other Turks who stood by his side. "Rude? Tseng?"

"Agreed."

"I understand."

"Then it's settled. Tseng," he turned towards the Turk leader. "Once Amalia and Reno leave, please inform Elena what we have discussed here."

"Yes sir."

"Good," the boss-man replied. Reno left the doorframe and made his way to sit on the black leather couch that was planted against the wall. Throwing himself against the length of the leather, the Turk crossed his legs against the arm rest and held his hands on his forehead. Rufus watched his employee with slight concern. "You act as if you've had a long day. Amalia is here – aren't you happy?"

Glancing at his boss, Reno nodded his head. "Of course I am. One, I'm giving her a few minutes alone with Elena and two, I'm still not happy with this whole lying bit so I'm trying to cool off for a bit. Ashe…she'll strangle me if she finds out." He focused his eyes on the ceiling, trying to forget all the times he had indeed lied to her in the past few months.

At first it had been one video sent to warn the Shinra group about some people wanting to use an abandoned Mako reactor for their own use. Meaning, they wanted to use the reactor to extract Mako and use it for their gain – illegally. From there it had escalated to where the same unknown group was bouncing to abandoned reactors across Gaia, causing the Turks to hunt and find them to end their plans. Each time they were successful. But each time the group fled, the same leader from every encounter always mentioned Amalia's name as if he _knew_ her, leaving each member of the Turk's confused as to how Amalia was connected to the people.

This chasing had continued for about four months until Reno personally received an email with a video attachment; in the video, a man, who had coincidentally blurred his face, lectured to an unknown audience and told of his great plans to steal Amalia from their clutches unless the Turk's handed over Amalia to him personally. Watching the video, Reno had been scarred, but what scarred him most was what came next. The unknown man then decided to grab a chair and bring it in front of the camera. Sitting, he had leaned forward and whispered into the lens:

"_Fail to bring her and I will personally see that she is allowed an early visit into the Lifestream."_

Shaking his head, Reno threw away those ugly thoughts and tried his hardest to forget about what he had heard. That day he had declared to himself that no one, absofuckinglutely _no one _would dare to touch his Amalia – his girl, the woman he loved most above all and the only one in the entire world of Gaia who gave a damn about him and all the shit he carried on his back.

"Reno." He looked back at boss. "I swear to you, we will find these guys and ensure Amalia's safety. I don't want any harm to come to her, just as much as you do."

The redhead Turk could only chuckle at the words that poured from his boss's mouth. Starring up at the ceiling again, he eventually closed his eyes and imagined Amalia arms wrapped around him. He always wanted to protect her, but in that moment, Reno wanted her to protect him from the possibility that he couldn't be there for her when she truly needed him. Sighing, Reno opened his eyes again. "I'll hold you too that, sir."

~ oOo ~

"Come in." Amalia had heard Elena's voice and opened the door, gently shutting it behind her. Walking into the room, she noticed that the female Turk was sitting upright in a hospital bed, her right arm covered in bandages and held within a sling for support. Walking quickly up to her, Amalia pulled a chair from the far wall and sat on the left side of Elena.

"Hey you, I see they've got you bandaged up. How're you doing? You feel ok?"

The Turk only smiled, although she had frequent visits from Amalia when she accompanied Reno while he was with his fellow employees, she still felt uneasy around the girl's politeness. After the last few years they had grown closer, Elena still expected for Amalia to hate the Turk for being a part of the disasters she had caused. But no, Amalia showed no hate and Elena wanted to crying knowing that the AVANLANCHE member had forgiven her. "Don't worry, I'm fine." She glanced down at her arm. "Well, my arms busted for a while, as is my leg."

"Wait, your leg too?" Amalia's eyes widened.

"Yeah, Reno didn't tell you?" She shook her head.

"He said that your arm was badly injured while on the mission."

"Ah, that's why. Oh Reno you're such an ass," Elena whispered as she giggled to herself. "No offence, but your boyfriend's weird."

"Watch it girly, I can say the same about yours too." Amalia laughed as well, reminding herself that Tseng and Elena had finally expanded their relationship a few months ago. "Why didn't Reno tell me?"

"He probably only told you my arm was hurt because you specifically asked about the _mission_. I hurt my leg when we got here, _after_ our mission was complete."

Amalia's mouth drop. "Are you serious? What did you do?"

"Look at it yourself." Amalia did just that. Pulling the white blanket off of Elena, she starred at the pink cast that held Elena's ankle in place – a cast that extended from her foot all the way past her knee. "Let me guess," she said as she placed the blanket where it had been and sat back down. "Your clumsiness got in the way again, didn't it?"

An innocent blush covered the Turk's cheek. "Yeah… My arm was hurt pretty badly but Tseng was able to bandage it up nicely in the chopper on the way back – meaning I could walk myself. Well, knowing myself, I tripped over my own feet simply trying to exit the damn contraption and ended up fracturing my leg in three places."

Amalia winced, knowing exactly what it was like to break a few bones, something she was _not_ a fan of. "Damn, I'm so sorry to hear that. How long you gonna be here?"

"Well my arm should be better in no time as long as I keep the bandages fresh. As for my leg, they want me to stay here for at least a week. After that, they'll do some more x-rays and determine whether I have healed enough on my own. For some reason, the materia we have in stock her isn't helping it so the doctors decided to let it try and heal naturally. My arm they think will be fine but if my leg doesn't end up healing the way they want it to, I'll most likely end up having surgery to fix it"

"Wait, why won't any of the materia work? I have a Mastered Cure materia at home, should I bring that?"

The Turk shook her head. "Nah, they tried that too. They believe that whatever it was that attacked me had something within its system that transferred into my own body in which blocks out the effects of materia."

"Sounds nasty, if you ask me."

"Oh well, I think I'll heal fine so I'm not too worried."

"Oh Elena," Amalia covered her friend's hand with her own. "My heart goes out to you and I hope that you don't need surgery. That is never a fun ordeal."

"Oh you are such as sweetheart, Amalia. But I'll be ok. Rufus decided to give all of us a few days off so Tseng'll be here if I need anything."

"I heard. I'm excited to finally have some time with Reno." The ashy blonde couldn't help but flash a smile at the whiter blonde who gave one in return.

"You two deserve it. Here I am, always with my boyfriend wherever it is we go, whereas you have to wait until yours either has a few days off or when he comes home from a mission."

"It's not as bad as it sounds; I still help Cloud with the delivery business and occasionally help Tifa with the bar so I'm able to keep busy. It's hard when my mind wonders off and thinks about him. But…actually, I've been meaning to ask you… Is it just me or has there been an abundance of missions you guys have been assigned to, lately? Other than today, I haven't seen Reno or any of you guys in a little over a month. Why did this particular mission take so long? Is something going on I should be worried about?"

The whiter blonde's eyes widened for a fraction of a second but she immediately covered her emotions and spoke a half-truth, half-lie. "Yeah, we have been assigned more missions but all we've been doing is stopping people from trying to mess with any of the Mako reactors that are still out there. Nothing too much – we're just trying to stop any future bad guys or anything that could potentially injure the planet." She smiled brightly, hoping Amalia would believe every word she told her. Although Elena felt terrible about lying to Reno's girlfriend, and her friend for that matter, she knew she couldn't utter a single word about what's been going on.

"Hmm, well that makes sense, I guess." Amalia crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back into her chair. "I do find it odd that all of a sudden people are _now_ deciding to mess around with the old reactors."

"Uh… y-yeah it is kinda weird but it's our job."

"You ok, Elena?" She eyed the other blonde quizzically.

"Who, me? Oh yeah, I'm fine, I just think the pain meds are wearing off."

"Oh! You want me to get Tseng for you?"

"Nah you're fine… Speaking of Tseng, he somehow reminded me of Reno."

"How did _me_ mentioning _Tseng_ make you think of Reno?"

"Because it pertains about you, that's why." Elena pushed her good arm against the bed to aid in her effort to sit in a more upright position. "Obviously all of us here have known about you and Reno and that you've been together for a while. But…do your friends know?"

She blinked her eyes, not expecting to be asked a question she preferred to stay away from. It wasn't the idea that she was ashamed of being with Reno; on the contrary, she absolutely loved the idea that she finally had a person in her life that cared about _her_ and only _her_. On the other hand, she knew everyone else who have a shitfit if they knew that she was in a relationship with the infamous Turk – especially since they had been together for almost four years, joining together not that long after they had defeated Sephiroth.

Amalia knew that her relationship with Reno wouldn't remain a secret forever, but she never had tried to keep it a secret in the first place. True, she had never come clean and announced _Hey! I've been in a relationship with a man I truly love for a few years now; oh and by the way, he's Reno, of the Turks._ _Just so you guys know!_ No one had ever asked her why she was gone for a few days at a time or who her "random friends" were. No one asked and no one seemed to care so she had left it at that. If they asked, then she _would_ summon up the courage and come clean. But until then, she left it up in the air, available for anyone to see if they really decided to look; up until that moment in time, no one even dared to take a peek.

Cloud somehow had discovered their relationship and Amalia knew that he had known for a long time, probably since she and Reno had become official. She made sure to always tell him where she would be and how long she would potentially be gone. It was a habit she had gained when they lost their mother in the destruction of Nibelheim all those years ago when their family had been just reduced to the two of them. He never questioned her intentions, he never asked who she was truly with and he never once demanded to know what has happening in her life.

But it was the little things she noticed. Amalia was the only person Cloud ever sent a text message too, and he somewhat "rarely" did so; unless she said she was leaving then he would always send something simple:

_Stay safe; make sure you're well protected. _

_Don't have too much fun._

_Come back in one piece._

But the most interesting message was the last time Reno had returned from a mission and she stayed with him for almost two full weeks until he was called on his latest mission he had just returned from. Cloud, as usual, had told her to stay safe and watch out for herself, but after she had been with Reno for almost a week, Amalia received an unexpected message from her twin brother stating:

_Amalia, if your "friend" wants to keep seeing you, then your "friend" just better make sure that he has the skills to protect my baby sister. If this "friend" is serious about you, he won't let you out of his sight._

And then, as Amalia had stared gaping at the screen of her phone, Cloud had sent a message immediately after saying:

_And make sure to tell Reno I said hi_.

From that moment on, Amalia _knew_ her brother had an understanding of what was going on when she was outside of Seventh Heaven. But what made her the happiest she had been in a long time was that Cloud didn't object. If he truly knew, his silence on the matter signaled that he was perfectly fine with the "secretive" relationship Amalia had with the Turk. Deep down she had wanted to bring it up with her brother and tell him everything, but she didn't want to risk the _tiniest_ chance that he seriously didn't know the truth.

Cloud respected and loved his sister to remain silent.

Looking down at her hands, Amalia folded and unfolded her fingers, knowing she had to answer her friend. "No, they don't."

"You mean you're still keeping this a secret from them?!"

"Not intentionally…it's just that I've left it up to them if they truly want to know what's going on. They haven't asked so I haven't told. Simple as that."

"And Cloud?" Elena whispered the name of her brother.

She smiled. "I'm pretty sure he knows, but if he does, he hasn't said a word. And from what I can tell, I think he has no objections. Knowing my brother, if he did, he would have said something by now."

Elena shrugged. "Yeah I guess that's true. But I have another question…what do you think will happen to you and Reno -"

"Knock, knock, I'm coming in anyways," came a voice that was unexpected but the girls knew he would enter the hospital room within a matter of time anyways. Reno opened the door and looked at the girls in front of him. He walked up to Amalia and gently held a hand on her shoulder. "Elena, how you doing, yo?"

She giggled. "I'm doing better Reno, thank you. I should ask, what made you decide to suddenly grace us with your presence?"

Reno diverted his eyes to look at the top of Amalia's head who, a few seconds later, lifted her eyes to meet his and a smile graced both of their faces. Looking back at Elena, the Turk replied, "I wanted to see if Amalia wanted to stay here longer of if she was ready to go."

She gasped, unsure of how to answer. Over the last few years, Elena became one of Amalia's closest and most trustworthy friends and she rarely had the chance to speak with her. But on the other hand, she rarely had the chance to simply be with Reno, someone she wanted to be with more than Elena. Amalia closed her eyes and silently thought to herself. _I'm sorry Elena_. _I know you're hurt and I wish there was more that I could do, but I want some time with him. I hope you can forgive me_.

Opening her eyes once more, she was about to speak her mind when the whiter blonde beat her to it. "You should go, Amalia. Go enjoy the time you have with Reno."

Amalia furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her friend who was gleaming at her; she knew Elena was telling the truth. "Are you sure? Don't you want some company?"

"Are you kidding me?" Elena held her hand up and swept it across the room. "I have Rude, Rufus and Tseng to keep me company. Oh, and the doctors and nurses if I get _that_ bored. Just promise me you'll have some fun, ok?"

"Ok, I can promise you that." Amalia stood and leaned to gently hug Elena who wrapped her good arm around her friend's back. "Listen, if you need me to bring you anything, if you simply want to talk or if you want me to stop by, just give me a call. Alright?"

"Deal."

"Good. Reno?" She turned and looked at the redhead who leaned against the doorframe. She had seen the man perform that same pose countless times, but the way he angled his hip against the wood and cocked his head to the side sent numerous butterflies into her stomach. And lower. She swallowed back a moan that was demanding release from her throat but she forbade it – at least not her with Elena in the room. Instead, she ran a hand through her hair, trying to keep calm. "Is there anything here you need to get first, before we leave?"

"Nope, I'm all set and ready whenever you are babe." Reno's eyes gleamed with love and lust for the ashy blonde standing before him. He could tell she was becoming nervous – a _good_ nervous that he caused. He watched as she continued to play with her hair, the looking at her nails, then back to her hair. She was so easy to ready, yet so hard to understand. But after four years, he finally had a better grasp on how to somewhat understand the woman he loved.

The answer was always hidden in her eyes. When something made her _happy_, her eyes gleamed and sparkled. When _sad_, both eyes darkened. _Nervous_, she always glanced at the ground and would only look up when someone spoke to her.

Walking up to her, Reno placed her hand in his and squeezed, Amalia's eyes lifting to me his. She gently tugged in the direction of the door, indicating that she, too, was also ready to go. Looking back one last time, Amalia waved to Elena and said she would be back soon to visit. Elena only laughed and waved her hand, specifying that the couple needed to leave in order to have their time together; which they did.

~ oOo ~

_**Wow, this turned out to be a really long chapter. Initially, I wanted this to be two separate chapters with the second would have started when Amalia entered into Elena's room. However, the longer I looked at it the more I realized that these two chapters flowed better as one. Does anyone think I'm right? Or would it have been better to keep them separate as I originally had?**_

_**Please don't be afraid to tell me what ya'll think! I would really like to know! Kindly review if you can!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_**Happy Heart Day everyone! Here is my gift to all of you – the next chapter!**_

_**I apologize that this chapter isn't as long as the previous one, but I felt that it was better left by itself that tied in with the next section I've been working on. But alas, all of you will have to be the judges of that when I finally post it. I hope everyone enjoys – and if some of you laughed, please tell me. I've been trying to place humor in here but I don't know if it's working. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

Walking back to the front room, Amalia was once again greeted by the other Turks and the President. She said her quick goodbyes while Reno just nodded and headed towards the door, which he held open for her until they were finally outside. Grabbing her hand as soon as the door was shut, the two walked down the stairs to _Shiva_ in silence. A few times, Reno squeezed Amalia's hand and she, instead of squeezing back, would push him aside with her hip, which would only hit below his hip since he was taller than she.

Once down beside her bike, Amalia grabbed her goggles and placed them on her face. Once she looked up, Reno already took his place on _Shiva_ as the driver, waiting for Amalia to crawl behind him and take her seat so they could head home – or, to his house, if anyone wanted to be technical. A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she thought of a way to make their escape a little more…_interesting_. And Reno had noticed as well as he arched an eyebrow in question to her sudden change in demeanor.

"What're you thinking, Ashe?" He leaned forward against the bike, inspecting her face. She had something mischievously planned inside her head and Reno wanted to know what exactly it was. Amalia was witty and had the ability to use her surroundings as an advantage. Knowing that she had immediately planned something as soon as they were out of the building meant that, not only did she have a trick up her sleeve, but she was in a playful mood.

Turning her back to Reno, Amalia walked to the edge of the cliff they were on and peered over the side. It was a good ways until the mountain side reached a flat surface; a river, several waterfalls and a steep, raggedy drop. It was time for some serious fun. "How about a race?" Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed that Reno raised his eyebrows. He definitely wasn't expecting Amalia to state something like that.

"Ok, I'm intrigued. What kinda race are we talking about, yo?"

"Well," walking back, she placed a hand on the engine, its cool, metal surface relaxing the tense muscles that were restricted underneath her skin. "To put it simply, we race to the bottom. You take my bike and I'll run."

"Babe…seriously?" He stood from the bike, leaving his sitting position, and lifted Amalia's chin with his fingers. Looking deep into her eyes he saw sincerity and excitement. "What's with the sudden idea of wanting to have a race between the two of us?"

"What?" She smirked. "Scared you'll lose?"

He was baffled. Reno - scared? Hello no. Reno of the Turks never, _ever_ backed down from a challenge and he wasn't about to start. Leaning closer to the only woman in his life, their faces mere inches apart, Amalia could feel his breath against her face and she forced herself to not close her eyes or gasp, despite wanting to do both. She dreadfully wanted to close the gap between their lips, but she was afraid of what would happen if she did; she knew that she wouldn't be able to stop the moment their lips touched. "You are so on babe," Reno finally stated, pulling Amalia out of her own traitorous thoughts.

She laughed. "And it begins."

Reno sat back down in the seat and revved the engine to its full potential. Standing beside him, Amalia stretched her limbs, waiting to see how this would turn out. She hadn't expected to think of a race, but she had always loved challenging Reno because she knew, deep down, he was _slightly_ a sore loser; but a proud one at that.

"So is this just a simple race or do you want to make it a bet as well babe?"

"A bet, huh?" She still stretched her legs. "I'm intrigued. What kinda bet you talking about?" she replied, mocking the words Reno had stated earlier.

He snickered at her word play. Scratching his head he thought of how to use this bet to his advantage. And then it hit him. A cruel smile purged his lips; deep down he knew what he was thinking was evil and unkind to Amalia. But she wanted to race and he wanted to place a bet. "How about if _I_ win we get to have some _fun_ of our own, angel."

"Fun?" She down casted her eyes, unsure of his meaning. Grabbing her arm, Reno pulled her closer to his side and leaned towards her ear, whispering the words he was hoping his original statement implied. He found it unbelievably cute when she couldn't grasp the true meaning of someone's statement. "I think it's time we made love, babe."

A yelp was the only sound that was heard from Amalia; covering her mouth, she intentionally avoided Reno's piercing blue eyes. She could hear him laughing to himself, a deep hearty laugh she always loved to hear, but after what he had just said, she wasn't if sure she wanted to hear it at all. _So, that's the game he wants to play? He thinks that if he wins we can finally consummate our relationship? Fine – two can play at this game_. Amalia blinked he eyes and the thoughts running through her head. _Wait, did I just use the word "consummate"? Isn't that only used when a couple becomes married? Damn, I really need to stop thinking about that_.

Turning her head, she finally met his gaze and held it as firmly as she was able to. Her cheeks flushed with a burn that frightened and motivated her. Granted she was deadly terrified of Reno's side of the bet but what she didn't expect was how much she loved his way of finally having her succumb to him. Amalia knew she had been waiting too long and had kept Reno hoping for _the_ _one special night_. But damn! She was not about to let _that_ night happen simply because he had won a imprudent bet against her!

"If that is what you wish, then fine; I agree to your conditions."

Reno's eyes widened and he didn't even attempt to hide the fact that her statement completely caught him off guard. One of his knees weakened under her confident stare and he fell forward, the weight of the bike pulling him down with it. His good leg, however, held its ground and he was able to secure his position without falling to kiss the ground with his face. "Y – you do? Are you sure?"

"Of course I am; there's no way I can lose."

"You sure are acting cocky, yo. You're taking that spotlight off of me babe."

"It's about damn time," she giggled. "But, of course if _I_ win, you have to…" This would take her a while. What was it she wanted to win? She obviously didn't want to make the same bet as Reno because there would be no point. Crossing her arms, she didn't know where to even begin. Should she make him cook throughout her stay?

_No._

Should she be really despicable and make him dress as a girl for one day?

_Nah, but that would be fucking hilarious. And the gang at Shinra HQ would get a kick out of it as well. _

Should she make him buy her a chocobo chick?

_Nope; as awesome as that idea is we'd have nowhere to put it…_

So what was left? Amalia fingered the chocobo necklace that laced around her slender neck knowing that all the while, Reno had his eyes plastered on her, waiting for her to give him an answer. Even though she couldn't think of a damn thing, she was still having fun playing around with him. The man deserved a break from all the hard work he always performed for his boss and the rest of the Turks.

_Play? That's it!_

"If I win, you have to take me on a vacation of my choice."

Reno extinguished a sigh he unknowingly had been holding in his lungs. He wasn't expecting a simple answer such as a vacation. He could definitely handle that. _As long as she didn't want me to buy her a chocobo chick…_ "Alright, that can be arranged, yo. Do you know where you'd like this 'vacation' if you should so happen to win?"

"Costa Del Sol _and_ the Golden Saucer."

"Oh, so you're trying to win a double vacation for the price of one."

"Hey, I believe that what I want to bet compared to what you want to bet is equal enough, if you think about the stakes that are within both potential winnings." _Damn, she has a valid point,_ Reno couldn't help but think to himself.

"Alright, fair enough. So," he cocked an eyebrow in her direction and revved the engine again, watching as Amalia slightly jumped out of her skin at the sudden mechanical noise. "You ready to lose?"

"No, I'm ready to win. Oh, more bluntly, to kick your sorry ass."

"Nope, your ass is the one that's sorry." Leaning back a little, Reno skimmed his eyes over Amalia's buttocks and let lose a low whistle. "But what a mighty fine ass you do have their babe." She punched him in the arm with a smirk on her face. "Hey! That was not called for, yo!"

Her smirk grew wider. "Then punish me if you win." Her last words came out as a breathy whisper, her voice a smooth melodic note with a hint of seduction looped between each word. Oh if only she truly knew the effect her voice had on him. Reno's eyes nearly popped out of his own head and he tried to keep his cool but ultimately failed. The result was an intense beat of fire coursing through his body, starting with his heart and racing towards his groin where it decided to stay for good. _Damn you Ashe, I will rightfully claim you as mine and mine alone!_

Swallowing his mouthful of saliva, Reno revved the engine a third time, ready as all could be to beat his girl and claim the prize he had been waiting for a long time to finally have. But as soon as he thought about it that way, Reno immediately regretted asking that to be his prize if he won. To him, Amalia wasn't just a piece of meat he could order around whenever he decided he wanted that particular specialty – she was something extraordinary, something rare that he had never seen before, let alone that he could have in his life. Reno felt is eyes graze over his partner, the only person in the world who knew every dark secret he held within his sinful body and the only person who pardoned everything he had done to her and her friends. As much as he wanted to win just because he could, he would _not_ allow himself win. _I cannot do that to Ashe; she's protected her virginity this far into our relationship and I will not let her give that up to me because I stupidly bet on it. I want her to be able to decide when our special night should be_. Reno mentally groaned and kicked himself. _Damn, when did I become this soft?_

"Let's do this!" Nearly screaming to the sky, Amalia shook Reno out of his thinking session and he found himself whooping into the air. Amalia crouched to the ground as Reno grabbed the handlebars; she growled in her throat and he purred the engine; she whispered _I love you_ and he replied the same.

Simultaneously, the odd pair counted down together, vowing their promise from when they began their relationship that they would share everything. "3…2…1…GO!"

Amalia pounced from her stance and stretched her legs as far as they would go, the dirt beneath her feet almost disappearing as she ignited the muscles within her legs and took off. She knew that Reno had stayed put allowing her a five second head start and as she rounded the first corner, she heard the beautiful sound of the engine purr behind her. Before she could even blink an eye, Reno zoomed past her silhouette, smacking her ass as he drove off into the distance. "Hey!" She yelled as she could still feel his hand on her rear.

"I told you I loved that ass, yo!"

_I have to win this!_ Amalia thought as she decided it was time to call forth the power she had received from that mad scientist Hojo all those years ago. Naturally, all she truly had to do was just act on instinct, but in a few circumstances, Amalia had noticed that if she took her time to relax and focus, she could feel the Mako energy and Jenova Cells within her body reacting to the will she had to use its unworldly power the way she deemed fit. And this was one of those moments.

As she continued to pound her feet against the dusty earth, she breathed in deeply, as best as she could manage. A few seconds passed before she could feel a sudden fire burn with the central portion of her body and as quick as it came, the fire spread throughout the rest of her limbs. A raging intensity laced through her fingertips, hammered into her toes and melted into her brain. Blinking, Amalia knew that she had reached the full potential of her unwanted involvement in a drastic experimentation she never wanted to be a part of. The fire disappeared, but underneath its wake laid a power Amalia had only experienced twice in her life; once being as she tried to save the citizens of Midgar as meteor fell and the second being when she assisted Cloud in defeating Sephiroth a second time last year.

With a smile creeping against her lips, Amalia bounced off of the dirt road and jumped as far as she could, her legs eventually landing on the side of the mountain several hundred feet away from her original position. Her glowing Mako-infused eyes scouted for Reno on her bike and she found him making his way down the mountain. Jumping another time, Amalia felt her feet leave the mountainside, arms flailing beside her as she descended down to the world below. Completely ignoring the road, Amalia wanted to have the closest feeling she could to flying. Landing on another rock landing below where the Healen Lodge was located, Amalia followed the path guided to her by the river and waterfalls; she jumped from rock to rock, her long brown locks catching in the wind and wisped past her face. She descended fast and quickly; the vertigo she should have felt had no effect on her while she was in her current state of physical and mental prowess.

Reno held his hands firmly on the gas, not once letting go of the speed he had. He still was keeping the promise he made about letting Amalia win, but he was still having fun in winning while it could last – until a flash of black and white blurred passed his vision as he drove by one of the waterfalls. Following the blur as best he could, he recognized the shape to be that of Amalia and he instantly knew what she had done. "Hey!" He yelled, hoping she could hear him over the pounding of the rushing water and the roaring of the engine. "Who said you could use your SOLDIER abilities?!"

Stopping on a perched rock alongside the road, Amalia stood and shouted towards Reno as he made his way towards her, "You never said I couldn't!" She bent over and laughed. As soon as Reno drove past her, Amalia flipped backwards, landing on a small patch of grass by the riverbed before she pushed her muscles as for as they could. She jumped and reached; pushed and strived; laughed and flew her way to victory. The wind pounded against her face she pushed her body to the fastest it had ever been pressed. She was close to the bottom of the mountain; her eyes could see the flat surface of terrain that came into view ahead of her. Grinning, she pounced one more time; squatting against the rock that held her, she pushed off with all the power she held within her and flew across the remaining surface.

Guiding _Shiva_ across the twist and curves of the mountain road, Reno gradually released the gas, estimating that he would lose speed just in time for Amalia to beat him. That is, until he saw her from the corner of his eye and his jaw dropped.

Amalia had her arms spread out acting as the wings she always dreamed she had. With her hair flailing behind her, Reno couldn't help but admire the picture he saw before himself. He knew that she was a goddess in human form and he never grew tired of observing her perfect silhouette. Both of them were descending the mountain but Reno knew he had lost. The farther she flew away from him the small her form became and without knowing what he had done, Reno had brought the bike to a complete stop, his eyes the only aspect of his body moving as he watched the woman he love fly away to victory.

Knowing that the ground was growing closer, Amalia propped forward and performed several flips midair before safely finding her feet on a flat surface once again. Slamming into the ground the way she had, though she made sure to land on her feet and not her face, left her muscles feeling a little wobbly and weak and she was unsure whether it was from the landing or her sudden use of Mako energy stored inside of her. Not caring what the answer was, Amalia threw her hands into the air and danced in the area around her, happy that she had won and even happier that Reno would now have to take her on a trip to the places she had been wanting to escape to for a while.

"Hell yeah!" She screamed to the heavens above her. "I won!" And with that, she fell flat on her back, a smile permanently glued to her face. She stayed like that for another minute before she felt the presence of another human beside her. Looking to her right, she saw _Shiva_ pull into view and park where its engine died.

Although he knew she wasn't hurt, Reno briskly walked up to Amalia and knelt by her side, his hand immediately caressing her slightly damp cheek. "You cheat," was all he said as he softly thumbed her skin.

"I did no such thing!" She laughed. Reno held out his hand and she took him, accepting his offer to help her stand on her weak muscles. Brushing the dirt off her back, Amalia couldn't help but smile. Yeah she _won_ but that's not what she was smiling about.

"You seem proud." Reno pointed out.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're beaming. I can see it in your eyes; both are glistening."

"Well, yeah!" She began bouncing up and down and Reno had to hold both her shoulders for her to calm down. She squealed with delight. "Reno, did you see? Did you?"

"Yes, I saw you won babe."

"No! I flew! I – I can't believe it… I think I activated my full potential….but I didn't think it would make my fly -" She had wanted to finish her statement, but Reno cut off her last words and threw himself at her, his lips attacking her moving ones. He wanted to hear her talk – he loved hearing her talk and engross in conversation with her – but in that precise moment, Reno held nothing but love and warmth for the girl he was swapping saliva with. Her childlike demeanor was one of the main aspects of her personality Reno had originally been fond of when he first met her years ago when she and her friends were trying to save the world. He never wanted her to lose that charm, but he rarely was able to hear her when she fell into this character because Reno always found himself kissing her lush lips before she could even finish what she had been saying.

Amalia clung to Reno, her fingers digging into his fire-red hair. A moan exploded deep within her throat and she tried to suppress it, but Reno had a way to bring out the lustful creature deep within her and she feared the day he would truly bring it out. But she didn't care - for a minute, all she wanted was to cling to this man, this one man who always wanted her and never pushed her away. But Reno eventually pulled away too soon and she let loose a small whimper. He let loose the beautiful smile of his and left a gentle kiss against her forehead. "I believe a congratulations is in order. You deserve it." And his lips once again found her swollen ones.

~ oOo ~

"Sir," Tseng let loose the blinds he had been openly holding. His eyes gazed one last time outside the window as he watched Amalia and Reno run off and play their deserved games against each other. He had chuckled as he looked on at the peculiar couple well knowing that the two were glad to finally be back together after having nearly a month to separate the lovers. "After everything that's happened, wouldn't it be better to keep Amalia here?" The head Turk glanced at Rufus who sat at his makeshift desk inside Healen, using his own eyes to glance at paperwork that needed to be filled out, but most importantly, he had been working through missions reports regarding Amalia for the past half hour.

"No, the smartest thing would be to have her stay on her normal routine of being outside with people and in her normal surroundings. We all know Amalia," Rufus dropped the packet of papers from his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He expected that he would be getting a severe headache soon and he was tired of everything that had been going on with this "group" that was, for some reason, deliberately seeking Amalia. "She'll go crazy if we kept her here twenty-four/seven. Besides, what better way for her to stay safe than by being with Reno? And if anything goes wrong, he's there and her brother is just a phone call away."

"True, but Cloud, just as his sister, has no idea of what's going on as well."

"I know. I have no idea how to tell them."

"How about just bringing Amalia here and explaining everything that's been going on for the past few months?"

Rufus groaned in his seat and leaned back, stretching the ever-aching muscles that were constant in his back. "It's not that simple, she would be super-pissed."

"Well of course she would Sir; you've had Reno swear that he wouldn't speak of this sticky situation and the same goes for all of us here. Also, you've basically kept secret that her life is in grave-danger. More importantly, we can't even figure out why. How do you think that'd make her feel?"

The Shinra President let loose a long deserved sigh, final understanding everything that Tseng was leading him towards. "She would hate us once again."

"Exactly Sir, and after all that we have done to prove to _her_ that you and everything we now work for has been for the better would be at a loss." Tseng exhaled his own sigh he had been holding within himself for a while. He didn't like speaking so openly to Rufus but in a moment like this he felt it was necessary. "It would have been a waste."

"So what do you propose I do…?"

"My suggestion would be to find the courage to finally reveal the truth to Amalia; she deserves it and we both know that, regardless of the fact that we've been protecting her."

"Yes I know," swiveling in his chair, Rufus starred at the closed blinds covering the windows. Usually he liked the natural scenery that stood behind the building but his mood was just too gloomy to appreciate any greenery that he could see. "I'm just afraid of what would happen once she discovers the truth."

~ oOo ~

_**Well? Was it a good continuation from the last chapter? From here on, the plot is going to thicken, stir and boil over into something amazing – but I won't tell you why! Tis a secret!**_

_**Now, just a heads-up: I'll probably be slowing down on posting chapters. Mainly because school is starting to get crazy and because I honestly have no idea what everyone is thinking of the story so far. So please, review and/or comment and say what you think. If people tell me that it's with continuing, I will but I would like to know. Is that so much to ask?**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_**And here we have arrived to Chapter 5! Yay!**_

_**Just like I said in Chapter 1, I am providing a warning for this chapter. It's not too explicit but hey – if you don't like it, don't read it. The story is rated M for a reason and I gave a warning so don't hate.**_

_**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

"This is seriously all you packed, yo?"

"Why should I pack more? I have more clothes in _your_ closet than I do in _mine_ at home!"

The couple left the bike on the side of the apartment complex where other residents also left their vehicles, if they had one. Hand-in-hand, they strolled their way through the doors and straight in the direction of the elevator. Amalia had become slightly fatigued from the sudden and prominent use of the Mako within her body back when they were at Healen and Reno felt that the idea of using the stairs wasn't the best option, even if he only lived on the seventh floor.

The _ding_ of the doors buzzed their attention and they attentively stepped inside as the doors slid closed in front of them. Reno slung the light weighted bag over his shoulder and leaned against the back wall, his grip on Amalia's hand never once faltering. "Well, angel," he broke the silence. "What is it you want to do today? We've got the whole day ahead of us, yo."

She smiled. "Honestly, I have no idea. I'm just…ecstatic that you're right next to me." She glimpsed her eyes up at her lover. A light blush caressed her silky cheeks and Reno could only grin, pulling his muscles in order to hide the blush that began to heat his own cheeks. Blushing was the one thing he did _not_ want Amalia to be able to see. _Ever_.

"Ditto to that, angel." _Ding_, the doors slid open and Amalia exited first with Reno following close behind. Silence gripped the two of them, both merely enjoying the presence of the other and not wanting to ruin their reunion. Walking down the hall, they stopped in front of a raven colored door at the end with the number "29" chiseled onto a golden plague next to the doorframe. Reaching into his pocket Reno fished for his keys, until he heavily sighed. "Oh, please say I didn't leave them at Healen…"

"Are you possibly talking about…these?" Amalia jingled a set of keys on a ring she had made for Reno after they had finally confirmed their relationship. He was always losing them in his pockets and could never remember where they were, until Amalia created a way to keep them altogether at once. It was a simple black ring with a small chain, complete with a small silver chocobo attached. It was a little trinket she had made when Reno had been assigned a mission that left them separated for more than a week; it had been the first of many.

"How did you…" Reno reached out to grab his keys but Amalia pulled back, the jingling of the clanging metal was the only noise to be heard in the hallway.

"No, no, I don't think so. You see," she pulled the set of keys closer to her body. "This is _my_ set. See?"

Holding it up for him to see, Reno examined the blue colored chocobo. "Ah, I see. Then where's mine babe?"

Reaching into her back pocket, Amalia pulled out the original set of keys with a red chocobo dangling from its chain. "When in the _hell_ did you take those from me?" He snatched them from her hand before giving her a peck on her lips.

"I stole them from your pocket right before we left Healen." A soft giggle escaped from her mouth and Reno stroked her hair before finally unlocking the door to the apartment. "You're a clever one. I'll never grow tired of that, yo." He pushed open the door and held out his hand, indicating for Amalia to walk in first. As she did, Amalia glanced around the spacious room, never growing tired of the place she could call her second home. The apartment was huge, the only one on the top floor because it was the penthouse.

Walking in, Amalia found herself in the familiar living room, completely decorated with a matching black eight-foot couch and loveseat along with one huge lazy chair; the living room itself being large enough to accommodate at least twenty people. To the left was the stairs that led to the second floor where the spare bedrooms and the master room were. To the far right, an open doorway led to the dining room, a place which was barely used. She and Reno rarely ever used the dining table, preferring to eat their meals either at the small breakfast table in the kitchen or in the living room if they decided to watch some television with their meal. Along the far back wall was the expansive kitchen, complete with tile covered floors and granite counters that were transported from Costa Del Sol; Reno spared no expense in ensuring his apartment was topnotch and well paid for.

If he could afford it, why the hell not?

Leaving Reno by the door, Amalia made her way into the kitchen, her feet leading her straight towards the fridge. Opening the door, her nose was immediately hit with a mixture of noxious fumes – spoiled milk, rotting vegetables and molding leftovers from the last time Reno was even in his apartment. From where she stood, Amalia looked at the milk jug and could feel the bile crawling against her esophagus. The once white nutritious liquid had turned a sickening, pale, chunky green. Leaning away, she closed the door and scrunched her nose; attempting to relieve the smell her nostrils had just memorized **(1)**.

"Hey, what's wrong babe?"

Looking up, Reno stood in the open doorway leading from the living room and was watching her. "Oh," she smiled inwardly, knowing she was about to do something completely cruel. "I think I saw a spider in your fridge!" Creeping away from the appliance, Amalia forced her lip muscles to not smile. "Will you please kill it for me?" She batted her eyelashes, devilishly want to ensure Reno would take a peek.

Shaking his head and laughing, Reno grabbed a few paper towels off the counter and held the door in his hands. "Only been here for a few minutes babe and already you're asking me to kill spiders, yo."

"You know you love me."

"That I do, angel." Opening the door, Reno leaned inside looking for the _spider_ only to retract himself from the confined space and slam the door shut, the machine slightly shaking as he did so. "Holy _shit_! What the hell did I leave in there, yo?!" Amalia clutched her sides, the laughter she held within herself dared to escape but she desperately tried to prevent it from leaking out of her lips. As the red-haired turned to her, his fingers holding his nose shut, she lost control. Doubling over, her laughter echoed throughout the apartment, tears eventually forming in the corners of her eyes as her lungs stung from lack of oxygen. Reno grew quiet as Amalia continued to laugh. As it died away, she looked up into his eyes as he stared blankly at her. Wiping away the tears that were able to fall from her tear ducts, Reno asked, "There was no spider in here was there?"

Amalia meekly shook her head.

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I get it, yo." He dropped the crumbled paper towels onto the floor and leaped at Amalia who registered his actions and ran into the living room. Reno chased after Amalia around the apartment where she carefully dodged each of his advantages. Running out of the kitchen, she made a full circle around the living room, watching the corner of the rug she always managed to trip on. With Reno hot on her tail, Amalia knew he would eventually catch her, but she was having too much fun to let him immediately catch her for tricking him to smell the murderous fumes in the fridge. Bounding across the bottom floor of the apartment, Amalia made her way towards the stairs and took two at a time, wanting to hide in one of the spare rooms before Reno could find her.

She was successful in avoiding his hands as she bounded around the corner at the top of the stairs. Losing his balance, Reno tripped on the top step and fell against hardwood flooring. "Son of a bitch!" she could hear him yelling from the hallway. Knowing he did in fact hurt his face from the fall, Amalia also knew that he was just trying to lure her to him by pretending he was _seriously_ hurt. Dancing down the hall, she sneaked her slim body through the door to the master bedroom they shared and slipped into the darkness that was before her. Knowing the layout of the room by heart, she quickly tiptoed her way across the room to the bathroom door, thankful that it was open because the hinges tended to squeak when pulled on. Feeling her way through the bathroom, Amalia found the coolness of the shower curtain and slipped inside, undetected.

From her hiding spot, she could hear Reno's footsteps from the hallway. "Alright little missy," he said. "I know you're hiding up here. Where the hell did you go?"

She tried not to stifle a laugh; Reno was just too much fun to play with. She knew he would find her but she didn't care.

The bedroom door silently creaked open; Reno's breathing the only thing she could hear as she saw the flicker of the lights being turned on in the bedroom. "I know you're in here, angel. You always hide in the bedroom. Did you know that?"

_Shit, he's right. I do always hide in the bathroom. How the hell didn't I remember that?_ Amalia thought to herself as she tried to think of another hiding place she could use in the future. The bathroom light flickered on and Amalia held her breath.

"You could be in here…but are you?" Reno was purposely talking to himself. He took a few steps into the bathroom and she could hear him mutter something but the noise was inaudible to her ears. "Hmm, I guess I was wrong then Amalia, you're not in the bedroom or the bathroom. But if you're not here, then where could you be? I wonder…" Walking out of the room, Reno turned off the lights and closed the door enough where there was barely a gap before it would close. Still holding her breath, Amalia listened, wanting to know where Reno was heading next. His chunky work boots echoed across the room and she heard him exit the door, shutting it behind him as he left; the echoes he produced disappearing down the hall and she wondered if he went to the next room or back downstairs.

Staying as quiet as she could, she gently pulled the shower curtain aside and gingerly stepped onto the padded rug. Walking through the bathroom as quietly as she could muster, Amalia stepped towards the door in the bedroom that led into the hallway. Her fingers traced the handle; eventually her muscles tightened as she grasped it firmly in her hand and turned it, unlocked the mechanisms and pulled the door towards her. Thankfully, it didn't squeak. Poking her head out, Amalia didn't see her red-haired lover in her vision. Leaning back, she exhaled a sigh from deep within her chest and softly pushed the door until it almost clicked into the hinge. Amalia closed her eyes and as soon as her vision went blank, she faintly heard a _click_ within the confined walls around her. Once open again, her eyes adjusted to the sudden light penetrating her vision. Her back tensed as she could feel steamy breath pouring down her neck.

"I finally found you."

Amalia barely had enough time to register what was happening; Reno's arms wrapped around her body as he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. A yelp escaped from her lips as Reno carried her over to the bed they shared and he tossed her onto the non-so-neat bed, where the sheets were pushed all the way towards the end of the bed, exactly the way he had left it before his mission began. Amalia fell upon the soft sheets beneath her and her body bounced a little with the force Reno had given into throwing her.

"You're such a little sneak, you know that?" Noticing the bed began to drop she glanced up and saw Reno leaning over her body, his face dangerously close to hers. Amalia's breathing suddenly quickened; her pulse beating against her throat.

"Yeah but you like that about me."

"Of course I do. That's never going to change babe." Placing his hands on both sides of Amalia's face, Reno leaned down and pecked her lips with his. One peck turned into two and two turned into a soft kiss and a soft kiss turned into Reno running his hand along her jawline. With a chill running throughout her entire body, Amalia felt weak against Reno; a weakness she always had with him, even when they were technically enemies all those years ago.

He pulled back and stared into her eyes. The left was green and the right blue; both glowed with a majestic beauty he couldn't describe from the Mako that was infused into her body during her experimentation under the supervision of Hojo. He loved them nonetheless; it only added to the loveliness Amalia held.

As if on cue, Amalia leaned into his hand, wanting him to simply hold her. His skin against hers sent a calming sensation down to heart and she felt soothed and relaxed. "You knew I was in the bathroom the whole time, didn't you?"

"Well of course I did. The shower curtains not very thick, I could see the outline of your figure the entire time."

"So then where did you hide? I heard you shut the door and walk off."

Reno laughed. "I hid in the closet. That was the door you heard and I stomped on the ground as if I was walking away."

Amalia stuck her tongue out at him. "You cheat!"

"So I did. Do I care? No. I was able to find you in the long run, yo." Reno glanced up and down her body. One of Amalia's arms was above her head while the other lay across her lower stomach; her cheeks were slightly flushed and her eyelids tilted just enough that made Reno swallow an inner growl. "I must say, my angel, you look…quite ravishing right now."

"Oh do I now?"

"Yes, I just want to kiss those lips of yours…" Amalia took a chance and leaped towards his mouth, her lips crashing against his and they folded together. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him down to her. Their body's clashed as Reno thrust his hands into her hair. Moaning at the tingling sensations Reno was rubbing into her scalp, Amalia molded her body into his. She always wanted more of her lover, but in that instant, her fear of going to the next level coursed through her veins. But all they were doing was kissing and she could handle that.

Reno's kisses were like magic; he knew exactly where to kiss her and how much pressure to apply. Her nipped and sucked, pecked and licked. Moving over her jawline, Reno feathered kisses against her gorgeous feature. Making his way towards her ear, Amalia tilted her head and he kissed directly behind her ear causing the girl beneath his arms to writhe in pleasure and gasp. Slowly, he moved downwards, pecking feather-like kisses on her flawless skin; all-the-while Amalia moaned, encouraging the red-hair to continue his torturous exploration.

Knowing he didn't need any permission to pursue any farther, Reno removed his hands from her hair and graced her skin with his fingers, gradually making their way to Amalia's breast. He squeezed slightly and a moan was able to be released from his mouth this time. Her flesh molded against his hands and Reno could feel the bulge within his pants growing by the second. With one hand on her breast, his lips focusing on one spot on her neck and the other hand holding her hip, Reno was surprised Amalia had allowed him to reach this far. He squeezed her breast more as he kissed her neck more. He didn't want to leave any marks on her skin but he did want her to remember what he had been doing.

Amalia was in bliss and amazed at herself she hadn't stopped Reno from continuing. _This is getting out of hand. If I don't stop I know Reno'll want to…but I just can't… I can't do it._ Although she was nervous about what was going to happen next, Amalia couldn't ignore the feelings Reno was granting her to feel. Her muscles melted under his touch, her breathing increased to match his and she could feel a heated awareness between her legs. The more Reno massaged and kissed her, the more she was becoming aroused. The way she was feeling in that instant, Amalia didn't want to stop. She wanted Reno to finally take her; she wanted him to give her an amazing pleasure; she simply wanted to become his.

But she wasn't ready.

Without her knowing, Reno had let go of her breast and made his way south; he kissed her neck, nipped her shoulder and pecked her collarbone all the way down until he was at her navel. Still unable to let go of the emotions and sensations swirling within her, Reno looked up at the beautiful woman. He would never live it down that this was the woman he loved and that he received her love in return. She was everything to him and damn it to Rufus if would ruin their relationship. Shaking his head, he banished those thoughts from his head and went ahead to make sure his girl would feel good. He kissed the top of her navel and could feel Amalia's skin; he tilted his head to begin kissing lower when he felt a rumbling against his skin. Amalia groaned and grabbed her stomach.

It was growling because it was hungry.

Reno couldn't help but laugh – he never thought that a growling stomach would stop him from continuing to kiss his woman. Propping herself up on her elbows, Amalia gave Reno a small smile but he could tell she was relieved they weren't able to continue, with the mood now lost. _One of these days_, he thought, _I'm going to discover why she doesn't want to go all the way and have sex with me_.

"I'm sorry, Reno."

"Nah, don't worry about it, yo." Amalia sat in a sitting position and Reno perched himself on the edge of the bed. Turning his head towards Amalia, she could tell he held a question within his eyes. "Hey babe, have you even had anything to eat today?"

Leaning against the wall, Amalia thought back to this morning. After a few seconds she replied, "Not…really."

"And what does that mean?"

"All I've had is a plate full of buttered toast." Reno narrowed his eyes at her, not approving of the answer she provided him. "What's with the look? At least I ate something."

"Yeah but all you've had is toast? It's…" he glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "After four in the afternoon you need to eat something. I'm guessing you didn't have any lunch either."

She shook her head. "No. After our call ended I headed straight home to shower and change then I went to Healen and now we're here."

"Still, you know I don't like it when you don't eat." Reno stood from his position, stretching a leg that was about to fall asleep.

"It's not like I do it purposely."

He sighed. "True, I'll take that." He extended a hand towards Amalia, helping her up from the not-so-neatly-made-bed. She grabbed it and stood, his hands immediately wrapping around her waist. "Come on, let's get an early dinner."

Her cheek's flushed. "With what food? We'll need to go grocery shopping considering your fridge is a ticking time bomb of deadly fumes."

"I know," Reno said as he pulled her hand, leading her out of their bedroom. Walking down the stairs, red hair bouncing back and forth against his back, Reno never let go of Amalia's hand. "That's a project we can take care of tomorrow; grocery shopping, cleaning, all of it. I'd rather not mess with…_nastiness_ right now. Too disgusting, yo. So instead," Opening the front door and letting Amalia exit first while he locked the door, he led them to the elevator. "I'll be treating you to any dinner that you'd like."

"Anything I want?"

"Anything babe."

She thought for a second. "How far can we travel?"

"Hmm, well considering I don't have the copter on me…only as far as _Shiva_ will take us. In a decent amount of time," he added.

"Ok…well, there's a new restaurant that opened a few weeks ago. Or…"

"Or?" The _ding_ of the elevator signaled their attention and they walked in, the doors shutting behind them.

"We could always go to our usual over in Kalm."

Kissing the top of her head, Reno said, "I'd love that." They exited the room when the elevator reached ground floor and both walked hand-in-hand towards _Shiva_. Reno draped his leg over the bike first as Amalia crawled on behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist. _Shiva_ suddenly arose to life and Reno pushed the throttle and gunned its speed, winding his way through the streets of Edge until he made his way to the outskirts of the city. Amalia tightened her grip and, acting quickly, Reno placed one of his hands over hers that lay on his stomach. A smile grew onto his face as he pushed Amalia's bike further, driving the vehicle off into the distance, the vast expanse of the wilderness becoming their playground as they made their way towards Kalm.

~ oOo ~

_**Authors Notes:**_

_**(1): If people think I was using Axel's "Got it memorized?" as a reference to this, I must apologize, that was never my intention. I was editing this chapter and it hit me that it was similar but I swear that Axel's quote never crossed my mind as I was writing this.**_

_**Another chapter finished, but I would really like to know: is it even good? Could someone please tell me? **_

_**If you don't oh well…I hope you at least enjoyed this one! I'm telling ya now, the next chapter might be insanely long! I haven't edited it yet so we shall see! And so shall you!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ :3**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_**Alright, this has been the longest I've gone between adding a new chapter. I warned ya in the first chapter, the semester is starting to get rigorous. Essays, readings, sleepless and work, work, work. I am doing my best to write as often as I can in my free time so I can update quickly. Then again, this was a fairly long chapter to edit…at least for me after working on homework all day long.**_

_**Warning:**__** slightly more sexual themes within this chapter as well as language. Don't like it? Don't read it. I DID warn you. **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

"Sir, if you would please follow me this way, you're table is ready." An older gentleman with a crisp white apron tied around his waist led Reno and Amalia, who were both hand-in-hand with each other, towards the private balcony Reno had specifically requested. He didn't mind eating in the restaurant with the other customers, but he did prefer eating alone so he could enjoy Amalia's presence without the wondering eyes of the other customers. It was only in well-known, established places such as the _Chocobo's Nest_, the very restaurant they were currently at, and crowded dwellings where they were noticed. Reno – the infamous second-in-command Turk and Amalia – one of the members of AVALANCHE who saved the world from the wrath of Sephiroth; both "famous" in their own right. Neither cared if people saw the two of them together but they didn't want to risk anyone asking the couple any questions about their own private matters. It wasn't any of their business.

Thus the reason for the private balcony.

The waiter led the couple through the packed restaurant, eventually making their way through a double glass door where their table waited outside for their enjoyment. Opening the door, the waiter stood aside and allowed the couple to enter first. Reno pulled Amalia's chair out and allowed her to be seated first. She gave him a smile and as she sat down, he pushed her chair in until she was in a comfortable position; Reno then took his seat next, plopping down into the seat, not caring if some would consider his sudden change in demeanor "rude".

_That's the Reno I know_, Amalia thought as she washed her lover slouching against the padded backing of the expensive chair. _His attitude might have slightly changed in the last few years, but that "I-don't-give-a-shit-about-what-people-think" outlook still remains. And I wouldn't change that about him. _

Waiting until they were both seated, the waiter stood in front of their table and presented the two with their menus. "Today we are serving a three-course dinner special which includes your choice of an Appetizer, then the Lobster and Steak combination which includes mash potatoes and rice with a biscuit and, to end the night, a fresh slice of Chocolate Lava Cake; all for fifty-nine gil."

Reno glanced up at the waiter then at the female sitting across from him. "Hmm, now that doesn't sound that bad."

"No it does not," she replied, her eyes drifting across the menu before her eyes, considering what she should order.

"Do you need a few minutes to look over the menus and decide what you would like?" Amalia nodded in response and Reno agreed, asking to have some time to think. "No problem. Would you like me to get both of you something to drink?"

"Yes please, I'll just have a glass of water."

"With lemon?"

"Please."

The waiter scribbled on his small black notepad and turned towards Reno. "And you, sir?"

Reno had grabbed the alcoholic list that stood next to the salt and pepper shakers, his eyes scanning over the variety of drinks that he could choose from. "Yeah, I'll have the _Behemoth_ and two shots of your classic _Diamond Weapon_ shots."

"Oh, a man with a taste for hard core beverages. Right away sir." Snapping his notepad closed, he walked back into the restaurant, leaving the couple to have a few minutes of privacy. Reno left his menu on the table, closed, while Amalia still scanned its contents.

"Can't decide, babe?"

"No, it's not that. I think I want the usual but was just considering other options."

Reno snickered. "You know you say that every time we come here, right?"

She peered over the top of the menu at him and arched an eyebrow. "Do I really?"

"Every single time, yo."

"But I can't help it, the steak is just too damn good."

"Nothing wrong with that babe." Peering at the door, the waiter pushed through, a platter balanced perfectly on his hand as he gave Amalia her water and Reno his deadly _Behemoth_ drink along with the shots of the _Diamond Weapon_. When the couple had their drinks, he asked, "Are we ready to order? Or is another minute needed?"

"Nah, I'm ready. Ashe?"

"Same here. May I have the strip steak, well-done please?"

"Oh course. What would you like as your sides?"

"Mash potatoes and rice, but can I order a small side of the mixed vegetables?" Amalia glanced at Reno for approval and he only nodded, not really caring about her ordering another side. She knew he _had_ the money to spare, but it didn't mean that she could be so frivolous with his money. The idea didn't settle right with Amalia, she never wanted to be that kind of girl.

"Alright. And for you?" He indicated towards Reno.

"Yeah, I'll just take the dinner special." He grabbed both of the menus and held them out for the waiter to take. "Cooked medium-rare and the sides it already comes with is fine."

The waiter scribbled everything onto his notepad. "And that does come with an Appetizer and the Chocolate Lava Cake. Have you decided what you'd like?"

"The garlic sticks would be great." Reno answered.

"Ok, I'll go place your order and bring out your Appetizer." He took the menus and walked back inside. Once the door shut, Reno reached across the table and grabbed Amalia's hand, rubbing his thumb across the back, her skin smooth and silky beneath his rough phalanges.

But he suddenly pulled back and handed Amalia one of the shot glasses. Grabbing the glass by the top and pulling towards her mouth, she watched as Reno did the same. "Ready?"

"Hell yeah."

"Good. Ok, 3…2…1!"

Both tilted their heads and the shot glasses back, allowing the clear liquor to slither down their throats. Amalia squinted her eyes as she failed miserably to ignore the burning sensation the alcohol left as it trailed down her esophagus. Reno mimicked but was able to pass the sensation more easily than Amalia could. Slamming the shot glass onto the table, Reno roared to life for a few seconds. "Holy shit! Damn, I forgot how strong that drink actually is."

Amalia followed suit. "Damn straight! Burns just like the attacks of the real Diamond Weapon. Betcha that's the effect they were going for, especially for those who fought the fucking creature."

"Like you!" Reno smiled.

"Hell yeah! Especially me!" The two laughed in unison and Amalia could feel the small alcohol in her system. It was just one shot but she could never handle large amounts of alcohol, it bothered her body way too easily.

"Already getting tipsy on me, babe?"

"I hope not, but you know I can't handle mass amounts of alcohol." Pushing the glass away from her, _reminding_ herself to not have any more drinks for the rest of the night, Amalia smiled. "Remind me again _why_ this is a tradition of ours?"

"You don't remember?"

"Not particularly, that was a few years we agreed to this."

"Oh Ashe, you never cease to surprise me." Clearing his throat, he took a drink from his regular alcoholic beverage and smacked his lips, savoring the taste of something that wouldn't burn all the way into his stomach. "Well, the first time we came here together, the shot was a new item on the menu and I tried to get you to have one with me. But you kept saying _'I'll have one only if you do'_. So, we both ordered one and drank it at the same time – and we just get one every time we come here, yo."

"It's a stupid tradition, if you ask me."

"I don't hear you complaining, yo," Reno noted.

"True, but I never said I would stop the tradition." Amalia smiled brightly and Reno again reached across the table to take her hand into his.

Amalia sighed – the feel of Reno's skin was electrifying and soothing at the same time. The more he touched her the more she wanted to be devoured by the red-haired Turk. She covered his hand with her free one and closed her eyes. Immediately she was taken to a far-off dream she had been having for _quite_ some time now. Whenever she felt heated, Amalia always imagined the hands of the red-head touching her, running his skin across her flushed body. The dream always left her breathy and in the need of something she had never experienced before.

_In her dream, a shirtless Reno, with his pants gradually slipping off of his hips, stood over Amalia as he ever-so-slowly pulled down his pants until they fell to the floor. She lay completely naked, exposed to the man who could see every flaw, every curve and every reaction her body had when she was around her lover. Reno managed to rid the rest of his clothes and towered over the trembling girl who could only watch at the amazing view she held. _

_Reno always leaned forward, always planted a kiss on Amalia's lips and always traveled further south. His tongue left a winding trail of heat as he coated her body with licks and kisses, creeping his way from her face to her neck, to her chest, the navel and even lower. She always managed to moan and groan as Reno nipped his way across her abdomen and she could feel his fingers snaking their way through her womanly area. He gently tugged at her natural hairs, navigating through the terrain and slipping his fingers inside her river of arousal. She would always cry out in extreme pleasure, not understanding what he would do next but not caring because it had always felt so damn good. As his fingers gently made their way inside, Reno meandered his way towards her most sacred parts and followed the actions of his fingers. Amalia always expected his tongue to finally touch her down there. That was what she had always wanted and was never able to get it…_

_Because as soon as he was able to give her mind-blowing pleasure, her dreams always ended in a twisted agony of self-denial and how she couldn't, or wouldn't, allow herself to feel real pleasure with her lover. _

But at that moment, Amalia could feel a blush creep across her cheeks and she had to open her eyes before she allowed a moan to escape from her lips. Readjusting her seat, she immediately knew that she was aroused; she could feel a pulsating tingle between her legs and had to bite her lips shut before she ended up producing noises that would potentially give away her current situation; not something she had expected to do, especially in the public environment they currently resided in.

But Reno was able to bring her mind out of the gutter. "Babe, you ok? You've been kinda quiet."

"Huh? Oh, sorry 'bout that, I guess I've just got…a lot on my mind right now"

"Hmm, wanna talk about it?" Amalia was about to answer when their waiter arrived once more to drop off their appetizer. He placed the full bowl in the middle of the table and provided each with their own small plate, just in case.

"I just placed your order in so it's cooking right now. I'll come back in a bit to see if you need any more drinks. Or do you need anything right now?" he smiled politely in their direction.

"No I think we're good for right now, thanks." Reno answered and then the waiter nodded and walked back inside. Reaching across the table to grab Amalia's small plate, he placed two garlic sticks on it from the bowl and placed it before her eyes, hoping she would nibble on at least something before their meal finally arrived. But Amalia didn't even flinch – and she was the only other person on the planet who Reno knew to eat as much as he did.

But he could tell something was truly plaguing her mind. She suddenly retracted within herself and slightly hung her head downward, eyes cast away from the food. Reno grabbed a few pieces for himself and took a bite, the butter-garlic sauce melting in his mouth. He took another bite before he could finish the first and glanced again at his girl, arms loose against her side as her hands lay within her lap. This made Reno nervous; whenever she fell into this "funk" Amalia always ended up losing her appetite. He had to do something – Reno didn't want to watch her starve when he knew her stomach was growling from hunger; he could hear the intense rumble from across the table.

Swallowing what was in his mouth, Reno said quietly, "Ashe? Babe, you need to eat something, alright?" But she didn't say anything; she was eerily quiet and, for Reno, that wasn't a good sign. Reno was about to use his secret weapon – using her full name – something he only did when he had to really grasp her attention. Pulling the second-in-command essence he had deep within himself, Reno commanded, "Amalia Strife, you need to eat something, now. And that's an order."

This grabbed her attention and he could visibly see the corners of her eyes lean upwards as she tried to suppress a smile but ultimately failed.

Amalia looked up at the concerned man from across the table and she held his gaze, suddenly feeling ridiculous for the feelings she was experiencing within her heart. Her hand snaked towards her plate and she took a tiny bite of the top garlic stick, and as the sauce melted on her own tongue, she immediately took another bite, a bigger one, and then another and another until she had eaten the two on her plate within a minutes time. Her actions received a laugh from Reno and a pure, genuine smile graced her face.

"There's the smile I know and love so much, babe."

As she reached to grab more of the garlic sticks, Amalia said, "I apologize, Reno. I just…I don't know. I've missed you so much and then you suddenly came back from your mission where you were gone for, quite a while…I guess I just had several emotions running through my body and couldn't straighten them out." _That's not a lie, is it? It certainly feels like the truth. I had a hard time grasping that he was gone or so long. But_, Amalia argued deep within her subconscious. _I know that's not the full answer._

While she was in a mental thinking process, Amalia didn't even feel when Reno grabbed her hand and held it within his until he squeezed it gently. In return, she squeezed back, trying to let the poor man know that she was better now. At least, Amalia kept trying to tell herself that she was alright.

"Don't worry about a thing, babe. I know with me being gone for so long on all these different missions that I've placed some unnecessary stress on you. And I apologize for that. But, just remember," Reno squeezed her had slightly harder until he had her focus solely into his eyes. "Everything I am doing, I'm doing to _protect you_. Can you remember that, babe?" Yes he added extra emphasis on a few of his words, but he wanted her to know the truth. Whether or not these missions were for her safety, he would protect her at all costs.

Amalia could feel another blush creep upon her already flustered cheeks. Outside, she could feel the effects of Reno's words, but inside, she was killing herself knowing that she wasn't giving Reno the answer he truly deserved.

_Should I finally tell him tonight what's really going on?_ Amalia couldn't help but continue to think to herself.

As he thrust more of the garlic sticks into his mouth, Reno continued to stare in Amalia's lovely face – he _knew_ she was torturing herself by thinking about something. But what exactly was it? _What would be keeping her from enjoying a nice meal together?_ The Turk scratched his head, unsure of what to do with the current situation. But, as suddenly as he was questioning it, a lightbulb blinked inside the Turk's head.

"Ashe?"

"Yes, Reno?"

"I…have a serious question to ask you."

"Ah, ok. Shoot – what's your question?"

"Tonight, are you quiet because…" _Aw hell, why did I decide to bring this topic up at DINNER? _Reno mentally kicked himself in the ass, because he sure felt like one for what he was about to ask. He sighed before continuing. "Amalia…"

_Ah fuck, he's calling by my first name_, she thought.

"Are you really quiet tonight because of what happened back at the apartment?" Her eyes widened but quickly went back to normal, but Reno was able to register the difference in her actions, especially since she retracted her hand from his and placed it along the edge of the table.

"W-why would you ask me something like that, Reno?"

"I…it just occurred to me. We technically went farther tonight than we have in the past. It's the only thing I could possibly think of. Ashe, I just want to make sure you're ok. You're silence and sullenness is starting to worry me."

_Holy fuck…fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck…well maybe he does know? He asked, so…he has to understand that obviously something is wrong with how I'm feeling about our…"intimate moments" together. Maybe this is a sign saying I should come clean?_ Again, Amalia was having an internal battle between her thoughts. So she did what caught both Reno, and herself, off guard. She placed a genuine smile on her face.

Reno expected any other type of emotion for Amalia to express: anger, sadness, tears, embarrassment…anything. But what he received in return was Amalia _smiling_. A gesture he was definitely _not expecting_. "I-I'm sorry, Reno. But," taking a deep breath as the small fell off of her lips, Amalia slowly stated the next few words, scared for how Reno was going to interpret them. "Y-you're…somewhat r-right. I…" and before she even had a chance to sit out the words Reno needed to hear, Amalia began to cry. A tear escaped one of her eyes and leaked down the side of her cheek. As it slid off of her chin, another fell and then another and another until she wasn't able to control the tears as they dropped on their own accord.

But Reno instantaneously kneeled in front of her with a napkin in his hand, gently wiping away the tears of sadness that fell from her beautiful face. One by one, the tears dropped and Reno was there to catch them before they could fall off of her face entirely. Amalia didn't move but the more that her man cleared her face the more she leaned into his hand, _desperately_ wanting his warmth to take away the pain deep within her. A few minutes passed before the silent tears stopped dropping and Amalia was finally able to look at her lover's face. But this time, she didn't expect for _him_ to smile.

"Well, hey there, beautiful," was all he said as he wisped a few pieces of hair behind her ear.

"You're not mad at me…?" was all she whispered back.

He shook his head. "No, of course not, babe. I'm not going to lie, I've kinda had a gut feeling that something regarding this issue was bothering you for quite some time now, but I didn't want to pressure you. But something was different this time and I'm sorry that I brought it up but…" Reno's hand grazed her cheek, his fingers softly tracing the outer line of her jaw from one side to the other.

But the more Reno touched her face, the more she wanted to cry and, almost as if on cue, one last tear fell from her eye and dropped onto Reno's hand. "I am so…so sorry, Reno. I-I should've said something sooner…"

"No, don't be sad. Whatever it is you've been feeling, you have every right to feel that way." Caressing the skin around her eyes one last time to ensure that no tears were left, Reno stood, grabbing Amalia's hand and pulling her up towards him; he stared down into the magnificent color of her eyes, knowing that he could drown in the mixed colors. Leaning down and placing a swift kiss on her forehead, he leaned towards her ear and whispered "We'll talk about this later. But right now, let's just enjoy our first dinner together that we've had in a while, ok?" Amalia nodded in response but as Reno took a step towards his seat, she grabbed his arm and held on as if her life depended on it.

Knowing exactly what she was thinking, Reno pulled Amalia into his arms and positioned his head to sit on top of hers; she linked her arms around his waist and held on firmly. "Ashe, I know exactly what it is that's running through your head." He gently pulled her away and leaned down until he was eye-level with her. He studied her expression for a few seconds and immediately detected that she had fear within her heart – and he knew where that fear was coming from. "I _swear_ to you, Amalia Strife, I am not going to leave you. Nothing could ever force me to leave your loving embrace. Do you believe me?"

"Yes," Amalia instantaneously answered. She was shocked at how quick she found her voice but continued to speak so she wouldn't lose it again. "I just…needed to hear you say it." She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his lips and retracted just as quickly as she had acted.

Reno kissed her forehead once more before saying, "Believe me when I say, Ashe, that I would be a fool if I ever were to leave such an amazing woman, such as yourself." This caused a blush to form on Amalia's cheeks and a sudden smile formed on her lips and she only added to its power and she allowed it to grow slightly wider. "Listen, we'll talk more when we get home but, for now, let's enjoy our dinner and have a good time. I promise, this isn't the end of _us_, Ashe."

"I believe you, Reno."

"Good, that's the answer I was hoping to hear from you, yo. Now, let's get you seated. I believe our food is about to arrive anytime now." Pulling her chair back, Reno assisted Amalia in seating herself again and then he sat back down in his own seat. Only a few seconds passed by before the waiter walked through the door with their food held high on another black platter. As quickly as he came, the waiter gave them their correct dishes and left them to continue eating on their own.

Although the couple could feel the slight uneasiness in the air, both ate their meals respectively and provided conversation with the other. Neither stopped talking to the other they moved from one topic to the other. Reno could see the color flowing back into Amalia's cheeks and he wanting to guess that it was because the truth was starting to come out, though it honestly could have been the food as well.

_So, it's true_, Reno thought has he engulfed several bites of the lobster he ordered. _For the past several years I always wondered why we had never gone "all the way"…because something has been bothering Ashe about it for that long._

Engaging in conversation, Reno talked about the mission as much as he was able to without distributing _private_ information that Rufus didn't want Amalia to hear. He explained how they were able to defeat the people trying to make their way into the reactor, how Elena became hurt, and then he finally told her how Elena also broke her leg. Although she had heard the story earlier that day, Amalia thought it was hilarious to hear it from Reno.

On the other hand, Amalia conversed in all the jobs she had been doing over the past month; watching the bar for the weekend when Cloud and Tifa left, taking care of the kids in the morning, working through transactions and orders for the delivery business. By the time she had explained everything that had been on her plate for the last few weeks, both had finished their meals and were now expecting to receive their dessert.

As Reno pushed his now empty plate forward, he said, "Well, sounds like my Ashe has been quite busy since I've been gone."

"Honestly, it worked to my advantage. I wanted to have some work to do all the time, it helped to keep you and the others off of my mind."

"Was it that hard to be away from me, babe?" Reno arched an eyebrow, knowing full well that he was being cocky.

But Amalia leaned forward, ready to play at his own game. "Couldn't I just ask you the same thing, Reno?"

"Tch, yeah, you could. And to answer: yes, it was _hell_ not being able to see you. Night and day, knowing that you were back in Edge waiting for me to come home while I was off fighting to protect the thing we created…it was a nightmare." Reno ran his hands through his red hair.

"It felt longer than one month."

"Oh, I wasn't the only one who was thinking that?" Amalia shook her head. "Thank god…yeah, I don't know why but time was such a bitch…each day lagged on longer than the previous and I never thought that our mission would end."

The _click_ from the patio door captured both of the couples attention as they noticed the waiter walked in. "Well, it looks like both of you have finished your entrées. Are we ready for your dessert?"

"Actually, would it be possible to take our dessert home?" Amalia asked quietly, somewhat wanting to stay and eat the cake here, but also wanting to go home because she knew that tonight would change her relationship with Reno; and the sooner they were able to get home, the sooner the pain could possibly go away. _I know he's telling the truth that he won't leave me, but what will he do when he finds out what's been going on inside my mind…?_

"Of course, I'll go get that right now for you. Here's the check, there's no rush you can stay here as long as you need." The waiter started to grab their plates and noticed that both were out of their drinks. "Do we need any refills here?"

Reno shook his head. "Nah, we're good. Just the dessert and we should be good to go."

"Great, I'll be back in a few."

As their waiter walked away from their table, Reno grabbed the check and quickly glanced at it. He never cared about the price for whatever it was he paid for; there wasn't a point, he had enough money saved up to last him until he floated back into the Lifestream. Pulling out his wallet, Reno dropped over two-hundred gil into the folder the receipt was delivered in and left it on the edge of the table. Noting how much money he paid, Amalia raised an eyebrow; she was slightly bewildered. "Was the check really that much?"

"What? Oh no, it was less than a hundred, but I gave him a _huge_ tip because he deserved it."

"I know he was good, he's been out waiter before, but why such a big tip this time?"

Reno smiled and looked deep into her eyes. "Because he waited patiently by the door when you were crying."

Amalia's mouth dropped into a "O" position, not quite knowing what to say. _Now_ she felt embarrassed at how she was acting but Reno shook her head and mentally told her not to worry. Their waiter came back one last time and dropped off their boxed dessert within a plastic bag. He took the folder with him to grab their change when Reno explained that wasn't necessary; he wished them a goodnight and a safe drive back as the couple began to stand. Holding the dessert in one hand and Amalia's in the other, Reno led them back to the front of the restaurant and out the open doors to the packed street. Making their way over to _Shiva_, which was parked along the side of the building away from the main parking area, Reno placed the bag inside the seat compartment and then hopped onto the bike. Amalia followed and straddled the bike behind him, her arms once again intertwining with his waist. She strengthened her grip and wasn't about to let go. As he turned the bike on and throttled the gas, Reno turned his head and said, "Hold on babe, I'm gonna get us home in record time." She only nodded in response as she hid away her head behind Reno's back.

A single tear escaped from her eye as she knew that, later tonight when they finally got home, she and Reno were going to have a difficult conversation that she had been trying to avoid the last four years.

~ oOo ~

The ride back to the apartment was unnaturally quiet. Amalia kept her arms tightly around Reno's waist as he sped forth from Kalm all the way back to Edge. As the vast expanse of the open plains plagued her eyes, Amalia allowed her eyelids to droop until she had finally lost consciousness. Through his muscular chest, she could hear the steady thumping of Reno's heartbeat; though she tried her hardest to stay awake, the soft beat of his heart was enough to send her off into a deep, deep sleep.

As the bike hummed into the distance, Reno could feel Amalia's arms slacken from his waist. Gripping the handle tightly with one hand, he held her hands against his stomach so she wouldn't fall off. Reno wasn't worried, they were almost home anyways. A few minutes passed as he guided the bike nicely inside the cities outer wall; there were still people walking across the city even though it was later into the night. Their silhouettes blurred as Reno sped right on by, reaching the outside of his apartment complex within the blink of an eye. _Seriously, best purchase Ashe has invested in_, Reno noted, as he dulled the humming of the _Shiva's_ engine.

Gently easing her limbs from around his midsection, Reno stood as quickly as he could while trying to keep Amalia from following towards the ground. But as his feet made contact with the ground, she stirred, her head tilting towards the sides as her eyes fluttered open. Holding her shoulders for support, he waited until she had her bearings straight before her arched her back and cracked her vertebrae. Twisting her arms above her head, Amalia turned towards Reno and smiled softly. "Mmm," she mumbled, still trying to wake from her short-lived nap. "Are we home yet?"

"I just parked, angel. Are you awake enough to walk or would you like me to carry you?"

Before he could receive an answer, Amalia was already removing herself from her seat. Offering her his hand, Amalia accepted and stood slowly, trying to find the feeling within her legs. "Thanks…I didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"I think it was the food, babe. You had a pretty big dinner and a nice drive home."

"Hmm, probably…" As she stood, Amalia swayed slightly and Reno had to keep his hold on her shoulders. _She's still not quite awake, poor thing_, he thought.

Grabbing the cake from the seat compartment, Reno held Amalia's hand within his and guided her towards the door. With eyes half closed, she was guided into the building by Reno who never let go of her hand. Vaguely aware of her surroundings, Amalia didn't care; Reno was watching out for her and she knew that - even if she fell asleep standing in the elevator – he wouldn't leave her behind. Being softly tugged by the feel of Reno's hands and aimlessly guided by her own feet, they eventually made their way through the apartment door where her body molded into the soft touch of the couch.

Reno stood by Amalia's side and watched as her chest rose and fell, matching the even breathing she held as she fell back into a deep sleep. He couldn't believe how exhausted she seemed compared to earlier. Kneeling, Reno traced the contour of her face, his fingers trailing from her chin, down to her shoulder when they eventually landed on her hip. The farther his touched reached, the deeper Amalia took a breath. He knew the effect his touch had on her. _But why doesn't she give in to her sensations? _Reno wondered.

Making his way towards the kitchen, Reno took the boxed dessert out of its bag and placed it in the fridge, knowing that he and Amalia would eat it later tomorrow. He scrunched his nose as the fumes made contact with his brain and he quickly retracted from the fridge. _Damn_, he thought. _Need to take care of the tomorrow_. Scratching his head, Reno was unsure of what to do next. Should he leave Amalia to sleep on the couch or should he take her to their room?

Deciding on the latter, he walked back into the living room to find Amalia completely stretched out against the couch, with an arm above her head and the other sprawled across her stomach. Stopping dead in his tracks at the edge of the couch, Reno couldn't help but admire the girl that was before him. She was the epitome of perfection in his eyes with her hair sprawled across the pillows and the way her mouth slightly opened as she breathed in and out. Knowing she would be better off in the comforts of their bed, Reno lifted Amalia from the couch, her head slanted against his chest and Reno couldn't help but stare into her beautiful sleeping form.

Making his way upstairs and opening the door to the bedroom they shared, Reno placed Amalia where she usually slept on the bed, her body unconsciously shifted onto her side. Leaving her side, Reno began to undress; pulling off his infamous Turk outfit, he sprawled his jacket and pants onto the chair in the corner, his work shirt following in a moment's time. Clad only in his boxers, Reno made his way towards the bathroom. Switching the light on, Reno stood in front of the sink and bathed his face in cold water until his skin dripped with the clear, sensual liquid. Grabbing the hand towel off to the side, Reno dried his face then threw the towel into the laundry basket.

Walking back into the bedroom and towards the dresser, Reno searched in its drawers until he grabbed a clean shirt for him, which he placed over his head, and the usual set of pajamas Amalia wore whenever she was over; short cotton shorts and a simple tank top.

"Reno…?" He turned towards the bed and noticed that Amalia was no longer asleep, her Mako-infused eyes softly searching for his.

"I'm here angel," Reno replied, walking towards her side. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he cradled her cheek in his hand. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"How long was I asleep?"

"Well, practically the entire way home."

"We're home?"

Amalia was rewarded with a chuckle from Reno. "Yes, babe. We've been home almost…twenty minutes now?"

She only groaned in response and sat forward. "I can't believe I fell asleep… How did I end up here?"

"You honestly don't remember waking up outside, do you?" Amalia shook her head and Reno scratched his own, a particular spot right behind his left ear - a nervous habit he had gained before he had entered the Turks. "Don't worry. You wanna change really quickly so you can go back to bed?" She nodded in response. "Alright, I'll go get us some waters and you can change." He handed her the clothes he had pulled earlier and walked out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Making his way back downstairs, Reno grabbed two bottled waters from the fridge, idly waiting while Amalia took her time to change. Taking a drink of his water, Reno gulped down nearly half the bottle, thinking back towards how the day had progressed. It had been an extensive day, but one he would gladly repeat again if he had the chance. Yeah, their dinner had produced some unwanted tension neither person wanted, but the way Reno looked back on what they discussed, it was needed for their relationship.

_I know Ashe is always open with me but I want her to be able to talk about our potential sex life. Forget the fact about whether we have sex or not, I just want her to know that I won't ever leave her. _Waking back towards the door, Reno only took a few steps before he stopped in mid-step. _Wow, would you look at that. A few years ago, I would never have cared about another girl with the way I do about Ashe. I would've straight up fucked anyone if I could but with her, I honestly don't mind if we ever make it to that level._ He smiled at this sudden revelation.

_Does that mean I changed for the better?_

The sound of the door opening above his head signaled that Amalia was done. Taking the steps two at a time, Reno hurriedly made his way back towards her, suddenly needing to wrap his arms around her and calm the fears he now knew she had. Although he wasn't sure exactly what those fears were, Reno knew she had them and all he wanted to do was quench them until she had none left. Stepping through the door, he found Amalia sitting in the middle of the bed, threading her fingers through her ashy hair. Hearing his footsteps, Amalia glanced upwards and provided Reno with a minor smile.

Sitting down next to her, Reno handed her the unopened bottle of water, which she took and softly replied "thanks." They both sat in silence; Reno drinking the rest of his water while Amalia continued to knead her hair, pulling at invisible knots she believed to be there. After a few minutes, Amalia turned towards Reno. "We…need to talk don't we?"

A sigh escaped from Reno's lips as he processed her words. He held his face within his hands; not sure where to begin, and not sure where the conversation would end. "I-I guess the question remains is…what is it you want to tell me?"

Amalia swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. "I…I don't know where to start, Reno."

Taking her shaking hand into his, Reno rubbed the skin with his thumb. Inside, he desperately wanted to know what was plaguing the mind of his beautiful girl. But he didn't want to rush her. "Just…start by telling me what you are feeling. Is that ok babe?"

She docilely nodded. "W-well," Amalia stammered, trying to find the words she had wanted to express. All the emotions she had wanted to tell Reno from Day One suddenly burst through her body; every sensation of fear and sadness coursed through her veins. Needing strength to finish what she hadn't even started to say, Amalia squeezed Reno's hand. "Since we've been together…we've never really been intimate w-with e-each other…And, before I push any further, I m-must apologize." She tilted her head downward only for Reno to grasp her chin with his fingers and pulled her eyes up to meet his.

"Don't ever apologize for whatever it is you are feeling; I believe I've already told you this."

"I c-can't help but feel the way I feel…"

"Shh, I know, it's ok. Ashe, whatever it is you have to tell me, I won't be mad. You know that, right?" She shook her head, signifying _no_. Reno tilted her head to face him. "You have to trust me; I won't."

Taking a deep breath and forcing it out, Amalia again started playing with her hair; it was her nervous habit just as when Reno scratched his head. "I'm…" she began. "We – I haven't instigated sex b-because…I'm scared…"

_I knew it_. "But why?"

"Reno," she spoke low and softly; Reno had to tilt forwards in order to hear her words. "I know of your reputation as a w-womanizer back before everything that happened with Sephiroth…we've discussed this before."

"Yes?"

"I…well, what if I-I can't…" Amalia cut off her sentence and immediately began to speak again, focusing on another topic. "I'm scared you'll leave me once you've had your w-way with me…"

Reno blinked and, for one of the rare moments in his life, he went speechless. _Oh dear god. I would have never, EVER thought that's what's been bothering her all this time._ "Ashe, you've been feeling this way for four years?" She nodded in agreement. "Why didn't you ever say something? Why did you have to keep it a secret from me?" It was now Reno's turn to speak softly; he didn't want to come off as an ass just because she finally told him. Hell, _he_ didn't even know what he was supposed to feel at that particular moment.

"I don't know, I guess…I was so afraid that you would end up using me in the end that I kept telling myself that'd you'd only continue to stay by my side if we never had sex."

"And you really believed that?" He slipped and accidently raised his voice; he could visually see Amalia recoil at his words. _Shit! Way to fucking go Reno…_

"No, not at first. But gradually, I started to believe it the longer we were together. My thoughts kept reminding me that if it was so easy for you to _fuck_ those others girls than…what's stopping you from fucking me and then ditching me?" As she was speaking, a few tears began to leak down her face and Reno let them fall, guessing that she most likely didn't want him to touch her at that exact moment.

"No, I would never do that to you, Ashe. You're not some toy that I can play with when I have a sudden desire too; you're much, _much_ more to me than that." Cupping her hand in his, Reno pulled his close to his, lips molding against the other. All he did was kiss her, it was all he ever wanted to do; but he could feel Ashe pulling away from him and he let go. Once apart, Amalia covered with her mouth and looked away, more tears staining her face.

"Ashe…"

"Reno…I-I'm sorry I can't…I can't do this!" Amalia jumped off the bed, leaving the safe enclosure of Reno's arms. Bounding towards the bathroom, she slammed the door shut and, from the bed, Reno could hear the faint click as she locked the door; ensuring that the two remained apart from one another.

Sitting dumbfounded on the bed, Reno locked his gaze on the door that separated him from Amalia. He was still trying to wrap his head around the sudden information she had provided, unsure of how to process what she said. _So_, he thought. _She's afraid because I've had sex before whereas she hasn't?_ Standing, Reno gradually made his way towards the door and the closer each foot gave him, the more he could hear Amalia from within the confined walls of the bathroom. Leaning his ear against the wood, Reno listened intently and it only took him a few seconds to realize that Amalia was now crying; washing away her fears and her doubts.

Not being able to express the feelings that were rushing through his veins, Reno leaned against the door; his heart being torn in two as he could hear the ragged sobs of his girl. Drawing in a raggedy breath of his own, he gently tapped on the door. "Ashe…hey, babe, please…open the door." He didn't get a reply; instead, Amalia began to sob harder, unable to control the vast amount of emotions she had stored within herself, her sobs echoed within the bathroom and within Reno's ears that cringed in a pain he felt he should not have.

Forcing himself to leave their room, Reno pushed himself away and dragged his feet out the door and made his way down towards the kitchen. He wanted to help Amalia feel better but he wasn't sure where to start…or what he could even do. Without even realizing he had made his way into the kitchen, Reno stood in front of the sink, his hands grabbing the edge of the counter so hard, the skin around his knuckles felt it would split. Hot chocolate…the drink he knew Amalia was slightly addicted to - Reno knew that even if she didn't drink it, she would appreciate the thought.

At least, that's what he kept repeating to himself.

Grabbing the kettle from the stove and filling it with water from the faucet, Reno ignited the burner and placed the chocobo-style kettle on top of it. Grabbing both the Nibelheim cocoa and her favorite mug from the cabinet, Reno waited against the counter as the water began to boil. Letting his face fall into his hands Reno groaned, unsure of where their relationship was heading after this.

_After all this time, I never knew Ashe had been feeling this way. And technically, it's my fault…all because I was frisky with women before we even knew each other. But I was never happy with any of those women…I'd fuck those women as much as I could but with Ashe, it's different. I want to make love to her…_Reno looked above him towards the ceiling, the exact spot where the master bathroom was outlined. _Angel…you are the only person who has ever made me feel whole, complete…and loved. Those other women were just a distraction from the constant pain I felt everyday knowing all the stuff I had to endure by being a Turk. But you accepted me wholeheartedly…please, don't give up on me now._

Reno exhaled. "Damn, never thought this would come back to bite me in the ass."

The kettle began spewing as it boiled and Reno pulled it off the stove, pouring the steamy water into Amalia's mug. Breaking open the package, he dumped the cocoa and stirred the chocolaty-goodness, the once clear liquid turning dark brown. Sitting the kettle back down, Reno pulled the bag of mini marshmallows and placed seven inside the mug, the random number Amalia always placed in her hot cocoa. Grabbing it firmly in his hand, Reno began his way upstairs, wanting to know that, even if she was still unhappy with the situation, that she could find it in her heart to forgive him.

~ oOo ~

Amalia sat on the edge of bathtub, fresh, cold tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't even bother trying to hide her face anymore, she knew Reno had left, she could hear his footsteps walk away and leave the room. She began a process of clenching and unclenching her hands, not sure of where she should place them. Already she had hidden away her face in them, but what next? Should she hide some more or should she face the hole she had just dug?

_Oh Gaia I can't believe he now knows…Looking back, I feel foolish for thinking that. Why would I ever tell myself that Reno would do that? I know for a fact that he's not like that…but is that the whole truth? Is that everything I'm feeling about the situation? _Amalia looked across the bathroom into the wall mirror, her red, swollen eyes piercing back at her. The skin across her cheeks was turning a pinkish hue from her embarrassment. She didn't know what to think of the situation, but the last question she had asked herself echoed loudly within her ears.

_No_, was all she told herself.

Amalia knew she was keeping more information from Reno. She was self-conscious about the circumstance and truly did _not_ want Reno to know what else she had yet to tell him. And yet, she did – Amalia knew that by telling Reno she would have the courage to go through with what she desperately wanted to do. That's what confused her most, knowing that she wanted to have sex with Reno but was scared because of his reputation and her fear of being left behind.

Looking back into the mirror, Amalia suddenly felt disgusted with herself. She had been with an amazing man for a long time and knew him from the inside-out; she knew his favorite color, his morning routine, how he liked to have his clothes folded and even the darkest secrets he had kept within himself about being a Turk. Hell, she even knew his family history and origins – something not even the people of Shinra knew about. Thinking about that alone, it occurred to Amalia that Reno must've had _faith_ and _trust_ within her to tell her his secrets without a second thought. _If he can do that, then why can't I?_

_Because you're afraid of being alone and that he'll drop you off without a moment's notice_, a voice reverberated in Amalia's head.

At this realization, Amalia nodded her head to no one in the bathroom but herself. _I'm a fucking idiot for letting this get to me…but sex is such a big deal and I'm…_

"Inexperienced…" she whispered to out loud, the confines of the bathroom wall silencing her word from leaking out into the world.

"Knock, knock." Snapping her head in the direction of the door, Amalia's heart froze. _Reno_. "Ashe, angel please…can I come in? I've brought you something." Feeling her heart skip several beats, she stood more quickly than she imagined she would. But as she grasped the handle, she froze once again; taking a deep breath, knowing that she needed to face her lover and apologize for her idiocy on the matter, she unlocked the door and pulled it towards her.

Seeing her face come into his field of vision, Reno gave her a soft smile, and placed the steamy cup of hot chocolate into her field of vision. He could see the redness of her eyes, but made no move to acknowledge it. "I made you your favorite."

Slowly reaching out to take the mug, she held it within her hands and asked, "With seven mini marshmallows?"

"Of course, angel."

Walking back into the bathroom, Amalia once again sat on the edge of the tub, gently bringing the hot mug towards her lips and blowing against the steamy liquid to cool it off. As she took her first sip, Reno followed suit and sat down on the toilet seat. Resting his elbows on his knees, he watched as she greedily drank the cocoa; he could see a faint smile on her lips. They sat together in silence; Amalia steadily drinking what was left of her cocoa and Reno watching her with a close eye. Neither one spoke until Amalia placed the mug in her hands for good and turned her head to look in Reno's eyes.

He was the first to speak. "Did you finish it already?" She nodded. "Want me to go make more?"

"No, I'll be ok." She twirled the mug in her hands. "It was delicious by the way, thank you."

"You're most welcome, babe."

"Listen, Reno…" He raised an eyebrow as Amalia's grip tightened on the mug; he knew she had something to say. "I'm sorry…for everything. I was a fool in thinking what I did."

Reno didn't respond. And after a few quiet minutes, he still didn't say anything – he couldn't even think of what he should say. Instead, he took hold of her mug and, after standing to his feet, sat in on the counter, not worrying about that it should be out placed into the kitchen sink downstairs; he'd worry about that later.

"Reno?" He turned; Amalia's voice full of question and confusion. Without asking, in his Reno-way, he bent down and lifted her bridal-style.

"Eeep! Reno! What're you doing?!"

"Taking you to bed, what else?" She smacked him on the back of his head and he laughed, realization of what his words caught up to him. "Not in _that_ sense!" Leaving the bathroom and making sure he turned the switch off, Reno walked towards their bed and gently laid Amalia on her side. Turning the overhead light off, he then made his way, through the darkness, to his side and lay down next to her. Reno untied the leather band that bound his air together and set it on the nightstand.

"You're not going to do anything to me?"

Amalia's voice caught him off guard and he looked into the darkness to find her glowing Mako eyes staring at him. Reaching down through the sheets he found her hand and held it firmly. "No Amalia, I won't."

"But why?"

"You sound disappointed that I'm not."

"N-no…" Reno could see a faint blush smear her cheeks as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness that enveloped them.

"Don't worry, we won't do anything until you for sure you're ready."

She sniffled. "Reno…"

"Hey," turning on his side he pulled her towards his chest and began to run his fingers through her hair. Amalia didn't object, only snuggling closer to the warmness he offered her. She shivered and Reno reached down, grabbed the covers and pulled them over their bodies. Immediately Amalia enfolded her arms around his waist and Reno tightened his hold on her. "Angel please don't cry…you've shed enough tears, and it's all because of me."

"No! I'm the one who -" She was cut off by Reno's lips. This time, she did not push away but pulled him towards her. They stayed that way for a few minutes; Reno's hands tracing her back while Amalia ran hers through his fiery hair.

When they finally pulled away, both slightly panting from the sudden onslaught of raw and needed passion, Reno said, "Don't you even say it; I'm not gonna have this conversation with you where we go back and forth."

"But I'm sorry."

He sighed and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Babe, you apologize for your feelings way too much, yo. Listen," he looked deep into her eyes. "_I'm_ the one who's sorry. To think you were feeling this way for that long…I never considered that my frivolous past would come back to haunt me this way. But Ashe…you're my angel."

"Reno," she stroked his cheek. "Why? Why do I mean so much to you? Why do you call me 'angel'?"

"Because, my angel, you're perfectly imperfect. You're the most gracious and unbelievably kind person who has ever been in my life. You've forgiven me for my sins, for being a Turk, hell, for even trying to annihilate AVANLANCHE back in the good 'ol days." He kissed her eyebrow. "You've given me a second chance." Her cheek. "You've given me hope." Her nose. "You've simply been there for me when others have walked out on me." And finally, her lips.

"I'm you're angel because of all that?"

"Yes, my angel. But you wanna know something?" She nodded her head a little too enthusiastically. "All those women from years ago," her smile disappeared but she still listened nonetheless. "Were nothing more than a distraction – a distraction from all the pain I felt everyday knowing what I had to do with my life in order to survive. All of them were a mistake; I never loved any of them, I never truly wanted any of them. But when it comes to you, I get this rush of heat in my chest that I've never felt before. You've given me a place in this world when I was always told there would never be one for me." He kissed her again and Amalia went limp. She couldn't believe her ears; Reno had never gone into so much explicit detail about what she meant to him.

"Reno…" was all she could manage to say.

"Ashe…please don't let this trivial matter about us not having sex ruin our relationship. I don't want to lose you over this," he skimmed his hand over her cheek, unable to believe at how her skin always managed to be soft.

"I won't," she replied immediately. "I won't ever let you go; I belong to you and you belong to me."

"Forever babe, I'll never lose you," Reno tightened his grip and Amalia did the same. Her breathing relaxed and within a matter of time, Amalia had fallen asleep, exhaustion causing her to collapse long before Reno did. He looked down at her sleeping face and kissed the top of her head. His last statement was true – he would never lose her, but he was scared shitless about her safety. Reno had no idea why the hell this one random guy wanted Amalia or what he wanted her for. But he'd never let him get her, Reno would protect her with his life, he promised himself that the day he had laid his eyes on her and the same promise only grew with each passing day.

_They'll never lay a fucking finger on her_, was the last thought Reno processed through his head before his eyes finally closed as well.

~ oOo ~

_**Phew! What a chapter! The longest one I've written yet. Well? Did everyone enjoy it? I told you, the story is starting to thicken and we're starting to see more and more. I'm excited to write more.**_

_**Review and comment or simply just read. I'm just hoping everyone is enjoying m story. **_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_**I know, I know… I am currently bowing my head in shame. I am so sorry for the practically 3 week wait since I last updated. Life has been…really hectic. I've had exams and exams and, did I mention exams? Work and just living have made it hard to find the time to work on each chapter, let alone edit and post. But here it is – another chapter!**_

_**I told myself when I began this story that I would try and at least update every week. Yet…it would seem that my final semester has been more time consuming than I thought it would be. However! I will not quit this story. I will finish it when given the chance. As long as I have people who will read my story regardless, everything will work out! :3**_

_**Warnings? Just mild language – and Reno. Can't help it, especially since I use such colorful language in my everyday life as well! :)**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

_Darkness was all she could see, it was all she could feel, it surrounded her very existence until it made her feel completely numb and cold to the bone. Amalia glanced around to find any source of light, but none was granted. Holding her hand in front of her eyes, she could barely make out the outline of her fingers. On instinct, her feet began to move, but she couldn't see where she was going. She ran and ran as far as her body allowed her. Sweat trickled down her brow all the way to her cleavage; her breath came in short gasps and her muscles began to cramp. Seconds, minutes, hours, even days could have passed and she would not have noticed. Time was allusive in this hell hole and Amalia was on the verge to scream. All she wanted was Reno…_

"_Reno!" she screamed into the everlasting darkness. But all she heard was the echo of her own voice. Stopping in the unknown spot of where she stood, Amalia turned. She didn't know where to look or what to do._

"_RENO!" She screamed another time, her voice bouncing off the invisible walls that surrounded the darkness. Taking a deep breath, Amalia wiped her forehead, unsure whether what she cleaned was sweat or tears. _

"_Ugh…"_

"_What was that?" Amalia turned. She swore she heard a sound other than her rigid breathing. There was nothing around her, other than an impenetrable darkness. _

"_A-Ashe…help…me." She had heard it that time!_

"_Reno? Reno! Where are you?!"_

_She began to run again, the mumbling and groaning growing louder and louder within her ears. Whoever it was kept repeating her name until it vibrated within her ears. "I'm coming Reno, I know that's you! Where the hell are you?"_

"_Ashe!"_

_The sound of her voice made her stop dead in her tracks. It was definitely Reno – she _

_new his voice anywhere. "Baby where ARE YOU?!"  
_

_I'm r-right…here…"_

_Amalia didn't know why, but something made her look and; and part of her wish she hadn't. She could see something form in the dark. The outline was all she could see, it was definitely taller than her and the more she concentrated on the shape, the more defined it became. A crisp white shirt, black trousers and jacket, along with flame red hair came into view. She sighed in relief and was about to speak when the figure collapsed to the ground and didn't move. A gasp escaped her lips and she fell to the side of the figure, hands immediately forming around the face. The closer she looked and the more her eyes cleared through the darkness, the more fright she held within her body. _

"_Oh my god…Reno! Reno, what happened to you?" Glancing down at his body, his once white shirt was practically ripped to shreds while blood oozed out of several deep cuts and scrapes, smearing his was flawless body. Looking further down, a tear leaked from the corner of her eye as she realized Reno had several stab wounds in his lower abdomen. Pulling off her shirt, she placed the cotton into his wounds to stop the bleeding. But something deep within her told her it was too late._

"_Ashe…"_

"_No…" she replied, tears unwillingly streamed down her face. "This is not the end, I won't let it be the end!"_

"_Ashe…" His hand pulled her face to look at his. Even in the darkness, Amalia could see how pale and defeated he looked. "You have to let me go…If you let me go, that means you could live."_

"_Reno, what are you talking about?"_

"_I…need you to run away from this place, Ashe, Please, I'm saving you, but you need to trust me."_

"_You're saving me by dying?! What the HELL Reno! Why do you think that'll help me in any form?!"  
_

"_Ashe…"_

"_No!" She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't…" she sobbed, the waterworks coursing down her cheeks. "I can't live without you Reno…"_

"_Yes you can, yo. You are so unbelievably strong-willed and independent…you can do anything without me."_

"_Don't say it."_

"_Ashe…let me go. I don't…have much time."_

"_No, no, no, no!" Blood was now soaking through her shirt and staining her fingers. Her stomach began to grow queasy and she worried she might vomit all over her injured boyfriend. She skimmed her blood drenched fingers across his pale cheek, unable to believe how cold his skin was._

"_Ashe…please remember…that I will always love you…with all my heart…" His body grew limp, but Amalia was unable to accept the significance of what she was staring at. _

"_No…please, Reno, don't leave me. RENO!"_

~ oOo ~

"_PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

"Amalia, Amalia! Wake up – _damn it_, wake up!" Her shoulders were shaking and a cold drench plastered against her brow but finally she had the strength to open her eyes. A blurred vision was all she could see, but as the seconds passed, the images gradually became clearer and she could at least make out defined shapes and forms.

The first thing she noticed was that there was barely any light – the only source of light was from the lamp from Reno's side. It cast an eerie glow across the room and a shiver was sent down her spine; it immediately reminded her of what she had seen. She could see the window off along the far wall, the darkness outside still emanating from the night – the sun was not yet due to rise.

"Amalia, can you hear me?" _That's Reno's voice…_she thought. Blinking a few more times, the red-head came into view, his face etched with worry and concern. The moment their eyes locked was when she lost her self-control. Seeing his face rushed the memories of her dream right back to her eyes. She could see it clear as day; his blood drenched shirt, the stab wounds, her bloodied hands…his lasts words before he had died in her arms. It was enough to send a wave of nausea up through her esophagus and she had to breathe in deeply to keep her stomach in tack. She swallowed the bile that had built in the back of her throat and she noticed it was raw. _Am I getting sick?_ She questioned herself.

She tried blinking again to clear her head, but as she looked again at Reno, who reached out his hand to stroke her cheek, a cry escaped her lips and she leaped forward, arms entangling around Reno's neck, choking him as she stiffened her grasp relentlessly. Reno stumbled back slightly from her force but held her in his arms. Her cries grew louder, her crying harder, and her pain threatened to break her proud soul.

He patted her back and rubbed the spot right underneath her neck to try and calm her down. Her shoulders slightly slumped downwards as her body began to relax, but the crying wouldn't cease nor would her grip around his neck. Minutes passed and the two stayed in their positions, neither one backing down. In his chest, Reno's heart broke in two, he couldn't stand to see Amalia in such a state and he had to wonder what the hell she had been dreaming about. _Must've been a shithole if she was forced to scream bloody murder the way she did,_ he told himself.

Eventually, Amalia's cries turned to sobs and her tears began to stop from soaking his nightshirt. Her body slumped from exhaustion as her hold loosened and she fell back towards the bed. Reno held her in his arms and carefully laid her back down, her whimpers still echoing throughout the otherwise silent room. When on her side, Reno reached to turn the light off but Amalia snatched his hand away before he could even touch it. "Please," she said hoarsely, her voice barely a whisper. "Please don't turn off the light."

He was taken back at her words; Amalia was never one to be afraid of the dark. "Why not angel? Is everything ok?"

"I don't want it to be dark – please, _please_ don't let the darkness come back!" She threw her face into her hands and the tears flowed once again. Not as heavily this time but Reno knew that _something_ must have scared the living hell out of her, he had never seen her so frightened before.

"Shhh," he whispered, running his fingers through her hair to try and calm her down. "I'll leave it on just for you, ok angel?"

"Please…the dark…it'll hurt you, Reno…" Water flowed slowly from her eyes as sleep began to take its course once again throughout her body.

"How will it hurt me?" Grabbing the covers, he pulled them over her slender body, wanting her to fall back into sleep and hoping that whatever is was she had been dreaming about would not disturb her slumber again.

"It'll take you away from me…"

~ oOo ~

Cold and warm – those were the two first sensations Reno experienced as he awakened from his deepened slumber. Or, as deep a sleep as he was able to get after Amalia had her nightmare episode during the night. After that, he had a hell of a hard time just trying to close his eyes, he wanted to keep them on Amalia as much as he could but his body required a certain amount of sleep so after what felt like hours, Reno was finally able to doze into a dreamless trance.

Blinking his eyes opened, Reno rolled onto his side and tossed his arm over Amalia – or, the empty bed space where she usually slept, except, she was not there. Sitting up, Reno looked across the room but could not find her. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and opened his mouth to call for her when the bathroom door opened and Amalia walked into the bedroom, pinning her hair up into a messy bun as she did so. Watching her, he smirked as she noticed she was dressed to go for another run; her short spandex shorts and black sports bra to match. _Hot damn,_ was all Reno could think in that moment.

"Good morning, Reno," Amalia's smooth voice liquefied into his ears and he lifted his face to find her searching through her drawer of socks, looking for the colorful ones she usually wore on her runs.

"Well good morning babe." Finding what she was looking for, Amalia walked towards Reno's side and pecked a kiss onto his lips. Reno could taste the mint on her breath an indicator she had just brushed her teeth. "So, I see you're going for a run."

"Yeah…" she replied, sitting on the edge of the bed to place both her socks and shoes on. "I just…after last night, I need to go let off some steam."

"So you remember what happened?" She nodded and Reno stood from the bed and stretched his back muscles, a few _pops_ echoed from his spine and he sighed in relief. He understood her reasoning, but with everything going on about the strange group that was for some reason tracking her down, he didn't approve of her being out there on her own. Yet, he couldn't stop her. He wanted to protect her but Reno didn't want it to become obvious that something was going on.

_Especially_ since he swore to Rufus that he would keep his lips shut about the whole matter when speaking to Amalia.

"Listen, you do what you gotta do, ok? But," he kneeled in front of her as she put on her second shoe. "Do you wanna talk about what happened angel?"

"Y-yes…" she pulled a few strands of loose hair behind her ear. "But I'd like to go out first and think about what happened. I'm still in a state of shock."

"I know angel," he leaned forwards and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Where are you running to?"

"Probably to Zack's sword again, I know it might be pretty far but it's a good run and I won't be around any civilians so I can run as fast as I want."

Reno smirked. He especially didn't want her going that far – he couldn't control her when she did it yesterday – but he was never the one to control her, Amalia could do whatever she damn well pleased. But he sighed and stood, walking towards his nightstand he opened the bottom drawer. Pulling out a few items he walked back towards Amalia who had already stood and followed suit. "Here, it'll make me feel better if you took this with you."

Reno handed her a small metal rod, about six inches in length and a leather casing with an attached belt. Amalia smiled and immediately knew what it was. "My EMR! Did you get it fixed?"

"Of course I did, yo! Fixed all the wiring so the electricity works again and I added a special feature to it. Here, I'll show you," Amalia handed it to Reno and took a few steps back. With the EMR in hand, Reno flicked his wrist downwards and the metal rod went from its tiny form and expanded in the familiar three-foot weapon that resembled his **(1)**. Swinging the weapon around, Reno pushed a tiny button on the side and it retracted back to its smaller form in less than a second. "See? That's why I gave you case so you can hook it around your body and carry it with you wherever you go." He handed it back and Amalia looked over the tiny device that would turn into a menacing weapon her lover taught her how to use over the last few years. What caught her most was the laser engraving print along the side. She had never seen it before and knew that Reno had it prepared when he fixed it: _I wish upon the night sky that my love with you will be forever._ **(2)**

"Oh Reno…" Amalia said slowly, her fingers running over the engraving as tears welled in her eyes but she blinked them away, not wanting to shed anymore waterworks after last night's affairs. She looked up to find his eyes staring at her. Reno was mesmerized by her beauty, the way she was basked in the early morning sunlight that poured in from the windows. The way she looked up the engraving her had put onto her EMR made his heart skipped a beat; he knew she would be surprised with the gesture but he just didn't know how much. "Reno…I absolutely love it." She stood on her tiptoes, kissed his lips then wrapped her arms around his neck and tightly hugged him. His arms encircled hers as the two of them stayed in that position.

Amalia eventually pulled back and examined the casing; with hard leather that would withstand attacks from monsters, or people, depending on the situation. Wrapping it around her waist, she buckled the strap until it was tight around her waist but loose enough to where it dangled off to one side. Once in comfortable position, she positioned the tiny EMR into the pouch against her back and was thrilled at what Reno had done to her newly acquired weapon. She twirled, testing to see whether it would move as she did but was impressed that it didn't.

"You approve babe?"

"Hell yeah I do, this thing is awesome! But," she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "I'm gonna get going. You know me, I like to get started early rather than later." She headed towards the door then took a peek back at Reno who was still clad in his boxers and nightshirt. "Wanna join?"

Reno laughed. "Me? As in go running, with you?" She nodded. "You're real funny babe. There's no way in hell you could ever get me to go running for _fun_, yo." They both walked through the door and made their way downstairs.

"Alright, but if you're ever in a pinch and need to run away, don't blame me when you realize your fat ass can't run as fast as me."

Reno snaked his arm around her waist and pushed her up against the front door, her minty breath mixing with his morning one. "What did you just call me?" He said dangerously whispered.

"You heard me."

He chuckled – he loved it when she threatened him back. Reno had never before met a woman who challenged him back and not just give in to what he wanted. "Oh, you'll definitely pay for that one, Amalia."

"For what? Calling you a fat ass?"

"Oh that's it." He silenced her with his mouth, his hands reaching for her wrists and holding them against the wall above her head. Amalia struggled beneath his grasp. Their lips molded into one and Amalia had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping out of excitement. There it was again – she was completely aroused at what Reno was doing to her but she just couldn't simply give in to the feelings she suddenly received. Reno could sense her inner confusion and let go, Amalia's lips red and slightly swollen at his passionate kiss.

She was confused and blinked several times. "W-why did you pull away?"

"What, did you want to continue, angel?" Reno leaned in closer until their noses were barely touching.

"What? I-I well…"

He kissed her forehead. "Let it go babe. I won't do anything until you want to, remember that." Opening the door, he held it open and watched as an even more confused Amalia stepped outside of the apartment. "Look, just go for a run, _stay safe_ and I'll see you what…in an hour or so?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"You ok babe?"

"Just thinking…I'll see you when I get back." She gave him a swift kiss in his cheek before leaving down the hall towards the elevator and leaving Reno's sight.

Reno shut the door and looked around the apartment, wondering what he should do in his spare time. Should he shower, clean or do whatever the fuck he wanted? _Knowing Ashe, she'll be gone longer than an hour soooooo….if I'm not lazy, I could do all three,_ Reno thought as he rubbed the back of his neck. Walking back up the stairs, he opted to first take a shower so he knew for sure that he would at least be clean by the time Amalia came back. After that, he didn't know what the fuck he would do.

~ oOo ~

Out in the open air, Amalia once again felt the breeze graze her face as she pounded her way through Edge and then made her way out of the city. She wasn't relaxed as she had been yesterday; there was more than enough on her mind to keep her from enjoying one of her favorite pastimes. But today, she just needed to get out of the apartment – not necessarily to get away from Reno, but the feelings she had experienced within the last twenty-four hours.

Amalia thought she would still be bothered about what transpired between her and Reno about their sexless relationship but, especially with what happened right before she left, she knew Reno truly wouldn't do anything until she was ready. And god was she hoping it wasn't far off where she would just give in to her desires. Deep down, Amalia knew she was ready to join herself with Reno, but there was that _one thought_ that was holding her back. And she was getting sick of it; although Reno would never admit it, she knew he wanted to make love to her. And the more she thought about _that_, the more selfish it made her feel.

Speeding past the outskirts of the city, Amalia made her way towards Zack's sword, this time, contemplating on the dream she had. _Too grotesque, in my opinion,_ she thought. _What the fuck was it supposed to mean though? Yeah, I'm fucking scared about losing Reno…scare more than anything else. But why would I dream…about something _murdering _him? Seriously, what the fucks up with that?_

Running the familiar path up the hill leading to her old friend's sword, Amalia slowed her pace until she gradually came to a stop. Beads of sweat drench her face until she had to wipe her forehead with the back of her hand. Tears or sweat she couldn't tell the difference, she wiped it all away. Walking towards the edge of the cliff, Amalia looked across the vast distance that stood between her and where Reno awaited.

"Gaia, I just can't lose that man. If anything were to befall unto him, I have no fucking clue what I would do." Kicking a nearby stone off the cliff, she listened to the echoes it made as it tumbled downwards, bouncing off the cliff as it fell. And that's when she heard it.

_Crunch_.

"What the hell was that?" she whispered. Turning around, Amalia scanned her surroundings, not sure what would make a sudden sound. Besides the wind, it was always deadly quiet when she was here. Peering over the edge, she tried to see if there had been something at the bottom the rock had hit and made the noise. But there was just nothing. Could it have been a monster?

Or a person?

"Whoever is out there you better show yourself!" There was nothing but silence, and then…

"Oh my, the fair lady _does_ have a bite!" Whipping around, a small gasp escaped Amalia's mouth as she noticed a man standing directly behind Zack's sword. Black slacks, tight black shirt, short black hair with deep brown eyes. This man's outer layer screamed a "nonchalant" attitude but Amalia could tell that there was something off about this person – this man held a darker side than what people could visually see. There was about a ten-foot gap between the two but the man decided it wasn't good enough and took a few steps forward, followed by Amalia taking a few steps back, realizing that she was ridiculously close to the edge.

Didn't matter, she could always jump down when needed, but at that moment, she was still slightly scared of the current situation. She blinked as the man still drew closer to her.

"Come now, Amalia. I heard you always had perfect manners. Why haven't you said hello?"

She swallowed; her knew her name. How did he know her name? "Who the hell are you?"

"Now that wasn't polite, my dear. My name? It doesn't matter – but what is important is that I would like to spar with you. Care to join me?" He held out his hand and waited patiently for Amalia to grasp it. The man's voice was low and smooth; there was an eerie calmness about this man that raged war within Amalia, telling her to get as far away from this man. But her legs wouldn't move, there was a stupid part of her that wanted to know why this man wanted to fight her. She didn't even know who the guy was!

"Why?" was all she ended up asking.

He laughed. "_'Why'_ she asks. You see, my darling Amalia, I just want to test your strength. I know all about your infamous abilities. Your ability to use mastered materia without any effort," he took a step forward. "Your ability to use dual blades as your main weapon," and another. "You rarely require the aid of any potions," another. "And, most importantly, you're the twin sister of Cloud. You have mako injections in your body; I'd love to test that out," and finally, he took one more until he was a only few feet away. Her heart quickened as her eyes widened. "Ah, I see I've scared you. Now you must be wondering how I know all that information. Well my dear, when you're a former member of AVALANCHE and one of the people who saved the planet, you become quite famous."

"I'll ask you again," Amalia gritted her teeth together, this person suddenly pissing her off. "What the hell do you want with me?"

"I was told you were smarter than this. Amalia, I want to fight you."

"Leave me the hell alone. I don't know who you are or why the fuck you want to fight me but please leave."

"Ah, language my dear. Not good for someone who's destined to save the planet."

"Now who's the "not-so-smart" one? I saved the planet a few years ago with my friends. I don't know what you're talking about." Reaching behind her back, her fingers graced the leather casing of her EMR and she mentally thanked Gaia that Reno had told her to take it with her this morning. Sliding it from its case, she flicked her wrist just as Reno had showed her and expanded the weapon to its full length.

The creepy man grinned and reached down to pull two daggers from sheaths connected to his hip, the tips of each blade were curved. His grin widened as they each held weapons within their hands. "Amalia, if you're so bent on not fighting me, why is it you have a weapon in your hand?"

"I had a feeling you would attack me and I was told to be prepared today."

"Don't fret my lovely, I plan to attack you as long as I need in order to learn everything about your skills."

Amalia's grip tightened on her EMR. "Seriously, why do you want to fight me so badly? What good will come out of it?"

"Good? Knowing that my master will be pleased with the way you fight?"

She lowered her weapon slightly; confusion and shock riddled her face. "M-master?"

The creepy man took his chance. As Amalia lowered her guard, the man leaped towards her and slashed his daggers in front of her, meaning to shred the skin on the front of her body. But Amalia saw right through his attack and threw the EMR in front of her, cutting off his attacks. She thrust the weapon until the man flew backwards several hundred feet. Immediately bouncing off the ground as soon as he touched it, the man pounded towards Amalia who crouched, waiting to take down this unknown visitor, though he was definitely unwelcomed in her book. As he flew straight towards her face, she was ready to aim her attack when the man immediately vanished from her sight as he drew closer. She blinked but held her guard; looking around, she saw nothing.

"You forgot to look behind you!" But as she turned, Amalia was met with a stinging kick into her side that sent her flying across the edge of the cliff to the other side. She skidded against the dirt ground, her skin burning as she tried to stand. But the man beat her to her side and kicked her again, sending her across the cliff to the original side she was on.

"Agh!" Amalia yelled as she landed on her back. She could feel her ribs ache, a fracture was a good possibility based on the man's strength and force of his kicks. Gripping the EMR tightly in her hand, she stood as quick as her nimble body would allow her. She closed her eyes when the man disappeared, using her strengthened hearing as an advantage to finding the fucker who was messing with her. Across the distance, she could hear soft crunches against the ground, followed by a voice that sent an unwelcomed chill down her spine.

"You know, my dear, this saddens me. I was told that you were an _amazing_ warrior who could defend herself against a hundred men. But this…this is disappointing. Who the hell am I fighting? Most definitely not the woman I was told about."

_Alright that fucking does it._ Eyes still closed, she wanted to taunt him, lure him to her so he could see the side he was disappointed in not seeing. "If you want to see what damage I can cause, then get your fucking ass out here and I'll show you what you're missing."

The crunching grew louder and Amalia could tell that it was coming from behind her. She took a deep breath and counted down from five. Once she was done, she whisked around and thrust her EMR in front of her body, barely able to block off the man's dagger attack. Just as she had yesterday in her race with Reno, she could feel the extended power of the mako injections flowing through her body. And apparently, the man could see it as well.

"Ah, so this is the power I was told of."

Amalia thrust her weapon forward and once again sent the man backwards. She pushed her body as hard as it would go and raced towards where the man was leading, beating him before he could even land. Following what he had done to her, Amalia kicked him directly in the side, pushing him into the air. She followed suit and ignited the electrical function of her beloved weapon and jammed it into his backside as she raced after him. The man yelled off into the distance, the electricity doing its work as his arms began to fall limp. Pushing off of his body, Amalia flipped backs and landed on her feet as she watched the man fall from the sky.

She crouched for a few minutes as he slowly worked to his feet. His eyes locked with hers as he stood to his full height; but Amalia wasn't intimidated. She scowled in his direction; he picked a fight and she was ready to give it to him.

"You bitch!" He spat. Leaping towards her, the man threw one of his daggers in Amalia's direction and she easily deflected it with the EMR, but as she dropped the weapon, the second dagger flew in the same direction, right towards her face. She dropped backwards, bending her back to avoid the weapon, her hands landing on the ground as she curved her body in an upside down "U" shape. Pushing off with her hands, she flipped backwards, barely standing on her feet when the man thrust at her with the first dagger she had avoided. Weapon in hand, the man rushed towards Amalia whose guard had fallen, and thrust the blade into her shoulder, sending it all the way from the front of her body straight through the back.

Screaming to the heavens at the unexpected attack, Amalia thrust her foot upwards, landing straight into the man's groin. He equally howled in pain and fell to his knees, hands immediately covering his injured genitals. Stumbling backwards, Amalia reached to grab the blade still stuck in her shoulder. Delicately pulling it out, she hissed as her muscles released the metal invader. Blood spattered on the ground as she released the blade and ran down the length of her arm. Now that the blade was removed, Amalia looked down at the man's weapon and noticed it glistened with another substance beside her blood. Bringing the blade to her nose, she sniffed. _Oh fuck. The blade, it's…_

Poison.

Jumping backwards and attempting to create more space between her and the man who was still suffering from groin damage, Amalia could immediately feel the effects of the poison with her system. Her stomach started to feel nauseated, beads of sweat dampened her forehead and she could feel her body begin to weaken. Dropping to one knee, she glanced at her shoulder; blood continued to pour from the wound even though it wasn't that big. With her sight beginning to perish as well, she knew she had to get help.

Amalia knew she had to call Reno – and fast.

Reaching for her phone she kept on her, she immediately pushed Reno's speed dial number and held it to her ear, the ringing causing her head to ache as the poison spread throughout her entire body. Keeping a secure eye on the man who was now trying to stand, all she heard was the ringing in her ear. But after the fifth ring, it finally stopped.

"_Hey babe what's up? You done with your run already?"_

"No…" she said weakly, the ailment kicking in faster than she had ever experienced before. "Reno, please…"

Reno could instantly tell something was off with her tone. _"Amalia, what's wrong?"_

"Hey!" The man was finally on his feet and he stumbled towards her, his walking gradually grew back to normal the more he adjusted to his pain. "Who the _fuck_ do you think you're calling?! This battle is between you and me!"

"No stay away from me!" She stumbled backwards, but her muscles were weak and she was barely able to stand, let alone get away from this stranger.

"_Amalia!"_ She could hear Reno in her ear, but she was more afraid of the man who quickly made his way towards her, one dagger in hand and then the second as he grabbed it off the ground. The man gave her a creepy smile as he looked at the blood on the dagger.

"I understand the poison's taking affect. See? That's what you get when you don't properly fight me."

"_AMALIA!"_

Knowing she had limited options, Amalia only did what she could; back flipped and landed on a lower ledge beneath the cliff. She continued to jump and hide until she concealed herself in the shadows knowing that the man couldn't find her unless he knew the terrain as well as she did. Her breathing was labored, the pain within her chest unbearable. Holding the phone to her ear, she said, "Reno…help me."

"_Amalia Strife, what the hell is going on?"_

"I'm being…attacked…"

"_By who?!"_

"I-I don't know, he wouldn't…tell me. Reno please…come save me…I'm hurt…"

"_Hurt how babe?!"_

Falling to her knees Amalia let out a grunt of pain and discomfort. Her free hand moved towards her shoulder, blood oozing between her fingers. Her breathing was labored, her vision fuzzy and her pain now becoming dreadful. "Shoulder…stabbed…" She could barely even form words, all her focus was on ensuring that she wouldn't pass out and that the man wouldn't be given the chance to find her. "Blade covered…poison…"

"_Poison?! Amalia, where are you?"_

"Cliff…hiding…Zack's sword…"

"_Amalia hold on as long as you can I'm leaving now!"_

"Please…hurry…"

"There you are, you little sneak!"

Amalia gasped and looked at the man who would not leave her alone. She trekked backwards until her back hit the cliff. Mustering all the strength she had in her body she said, "What do you WANT with me? Leave me alone!"

"No, not until I've had my way with you. I must follow my master's orders."

"No, stop! Please, just leave me alone!" She screamed as the man neared her, too weak to move until her body fell limp. The phone slipped through her fingers and it fell to the ground with a _clunk_, Reno's voice still audible to her growing unconscious state of mind.

"_AMALIA!"_

~ oOo ~

Reno screamed Amalia's name over and over as he frantically thrust his hand into his hair. After a few minutes, the line went dead, Reno unsure of what the hell was going on. Closing his phone, his raced upstairs and thrust his feet into his work combat boots. Once done, he made his way into the closet and unlocked the safe the two of them used that stored their materia; Reno grabbed Amalia's Master Cure then made his way to the hallway cabinet where he grabbed numerous Hi-Potions and Antidotes, and any other medicinal liquids he thought Amalia might need. Throwing the items into a duffle bag and placing the materia within his arm, Reno raced out of the apartment and down to _Shiva_.

Starting its engine and racing through the city, Reno could barely contain the rage within himself to the point where his vision was becoming blurry, obvious from the way he almost hit several people before he made his way through the blusterous city.

_Godfucking damn it! How could I let this happen?! Amalia doesn't know whose attacking her but I do…I know for a fact that this person is working for whoever is after her._ Reno growled in frustration. _Oh Amalia, please be safe. I'm coming to get you!_

Reno pushed the gas even farther, the once humming engine burst to life as it roared with power, pushing the red head to the edge of the city where he was met with the vast wilderness that surrounded the city he now called home. Eyes focused on the road, Reno guided his way towards Zack's sword and as he edged his way closer towards the memorial cliff where the once SOLDIER perished. As he drew closer, he looked above to the cliff and could see the faint outlines of two individuals; focusing his eyes, Reno noticed it was a male furiously kicking a female – Amalia – who was thrust across the way, skidding and landing on her side.

She didn't stand.

Pushing the bike to its limit, Reno gunned the machine up the hill. Rounding the corner, he pulled his own EMR from behind him and pushed the button, igniting his favorite aspect – the electricity. Finally atop the cliff, he only saw horror before his eyes as the man sustained in kicking Amalia throughout her body; her legs, her waist, and especially he shoulder. Staring only at the man, Reno steered _Shiva_ in his direction and aimed at his body. He drove the bike closer and as he drove closer, the man finally turned to see Reno – but it was too late.

Reno stabbed his EMR directly into the man's lower stomach, and, combined with the force of his speed and the force of his thrust, he pushed the man completely off the cliff. Coming to a complete stop as he turned the bike around, Reno looked to see if the man somehow jumped to the other side, saving his ass from the deadly fall, for those who couldn't survive it. Not finding the man within his sight, he jumped off the bike and ran towards Amalia, who still lay on the ground, unmoving.

Dropping to his knees he immediately snatched a bottle of Antidote from the bag. Pulling Amalia forward until she rested on his left arm, he placed the bottle between her lips and slowly trickled the liquid down her throat, pleading that he wasn't too late.

He starred into her eyelids, hoping to see some form of life from her, but after a few minutes, he saw nothing. Thrusting his hand back into the bag, his hand found another bottle of Antidote, but as he was about to pop the cap off, a ragged cough escaped Amalia's lips as she hacked more and more. His hand cradling her cheek, his eyes found her dim ones looking up at him. A tear made its way to the corner of his eye but he forbade it to fall – and so it didn't.

"Amalia…angel, are you ok? Do you need another Antidote?"

She shook her head and whispered, "No…I'm just…really tired."

"I'm gonna lay you back down ok? I brought your Master Cure, I'm going to fix your wound. This might sting so grab my hand if you need too." Placing her back onto the ground, Reno held his right hand directly over where the blade cut through skin and muscle. The bleeding had eventually stopped, but a thick, red trail traveled from her shoulder down her arm and chest. His skin hovered over her injured wound, igniting the materia within his body, a heated sensation escaped Reno's hand as his arm began to glow. Amalia's eyes shut tightly and her hand found his; she hissed and tightened her grip. "I know babe, I know. But it's working, only a few more minutes." And Reno was speaking the truth. The more the materia glowed in his arm, the faster it healed her would. Reno could visually see the skin mingle itself and connect back together, the hole that was once there eventually disappeared; nothing remained except for the blood and a faint scar that told the story of her stabbing.

The moment Reno released the magic of the materia, Amalia exhaled a strenuous sigh. She leaned forwards, held together by the strength of her lover's arm where she gently touched the wound that was on her shoulder, feeling the scar that would remain forever; along with the rest of her battle scars. Grabbing one of the numerous Hi-Potions from the bag, he topped off the cap and handed it to her. She took it without asking and downed the potion, coloring almost immediately flooding back into her pale cheeks; her strength returned as well though Amalia could tell that she was going to be sore for the rest of the day. Looking up at Reno, she gave him a reassuring smile to indicate she was completely healed compared to a few minutes prior.

Leaning down to kiss her forehead, Reno asked, "How're you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to you." She diverted her eyes to look across their surroundings, unable to spot the strange man. As she tightened her grip on his arm she asked, "Where is he?"

"I flung him off the cliff with my EMR. Other than that, I dunno, angel."

"Reno," she leaned into his embrace, never wanting him to let her go. "If he comes back, will you protect me?"

"Oh babe…" he simply held her in his arms. Reno could feel Amalia's body slightly shake from her sudden onslaught of fear. He replied, "You don't even have to ask." The two stayed in that position for as long as they could before Reno deemed that she should stand to stretch her legs and see if she could walk around. Holding her hand the entire time, Reno aided her in standing; she stumbled a few times but eventually made it to her. Amalia felt light-headed and slightly sick, but better than she had during the attack. With his help, she walked back to her bike where she caught sight of a flash; another dagger suddenly zoomed its way directly towards her. Acting on instinct, Reno gently pushed Amalia behind him and knocked the blade aside with his EMR.

The man crawled his way over the edge of the cliff and stood to his feet. A stream of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and his breath was ragged. He held his hand out in front of him and the dagger, which now lay on the ground next to Reno, flew back towards its master when he caught it in his hand. "Well, isn't this an interesting find. The greatest female warrior I was told of was nothing but a shitty-ass lie."

Amalia cowered behind Reno, the man's words somehow digging deep into her heart and she couldn't stand to hear what he had to say; she clung tightly to the back of his shirt, not wanting to be in the spotlight anymore. Speaking in her defense, Reno yelled, "What the fuck are you talking about?"

The man laughed to the heavens. "I was sent here to assess the power of this female for I was told she could defend herself against any enemy. But from what I have seen, _you_, Reno of the Turks, have more power than _this_ piece of shit does."

Reno could feel Amalia grasping his shirt tighter and the vibration from her throat as she began humming to herself. _Oh Ashe…baby you're scared._ Focusing his attention solely on the stranger, Reno held his EMR at eye level with the man; his eyebrows narrowed as his voice turned dark and wicked. "Don't you fucking _DARE_ speaking about Ashe in that manner. I don't know who the fuck you are or who the fuck told you what you heard – but leave her alone. Got it?"

"So, it has come to my attention that this bitch is nothing without you, eh, Reno?"

"No, you've got it all wrong, you fucker. This woman is stronger than me and you combined."

This made the man laugh hysterically. "Oh really now? Because from what I can tell, she was nothing but weak. But, no matter, I shall report this back to my master and he'll decide what he wants to do next."

"Wait! Who the fuck is this 'master'? And what does he want with Amalia?!"

The man took a few steps back until he was standing on the very edge. "All in good time Reno. That girl will save the planet – but she needs more _anger_, and we can definitely feed her that emotion. Until next time! Oh, and please tell Amalia that she better be ready for next time!" The man jumped behind him and Reno expected him to fall to his death. That is, until the man's body disintegrated as his image fell from the sky and he disappeared from sight.

~ oOo ~

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**(1): I honestly don't know if Reno's actual EMR has this feature in the game and/or film. Every time I've seen his weapon it's already expanded. So, for my story, I'm making the expansion a special feature just for Amalia's weapon!**_

_**(2): Originally I wanted to see if anyone could guess where this was from but I opted not to so I'll just tell you. It's from "Eternal Love," the FF13 song that was in the Japanese Version and not the English. It played towards the beginning when Snow proposes to Serah while they're flying around in Bodhum. I absolutely love this song and it becomes incredibly important later on in the story. **_

_**So my first fighting scene! How did it go? Was it understandable? That's what I'm aiming for.**_

_**Anyways, here's a shout out to **__**DrAnime203**__** for being the first person to review my story! I really appreciate what you said. I'm glad to know someone really likes my story and I hope that you will continue to like it even more as the story progresses!**_

_**Alright ladies and gents, review, comment whatever you want to do. Please enjoy!  
**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_**Well here we are with Chapter 8! Again, I bow my head in shame since it has been 3 weeks since I last updated. I cannot even explain how school is draining both my energy and my time – but I do try to find as much spare time as I can to write. So for those who have read my story, I want to thank you for being patient with me, it really does mean a lot!**_

_**Any warnings? Yeah maybe a little ;) It's more…psychological, I guess you could say, than physical, but you'll just have to read in order to understand my meaning!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

"C'mon…pick up the phone damn it…"

Reno paced around the apartment, the phone he held was glued to his ear and, for the thousandth time in twenty minutes, he ran his free hand through his fiery locks of hair. He had been trying to get a hold of the people at Healen but nobody was answering their phones. _Rufus gave us all a vacation yet I know Tseng is there because Elena's there…Rufus has to be there. He wanted to wait for Elena to heal before he began doing paperwork back at our main office here and Rude… well he could be there too._

Again, for the tenth time, the call rang and rang until finally it was sent to voicemail. "God damn it!" Reno yelled, throwing his fist into the air. He desperately wanted to throw the phone at the wall but opted not to, it wouldn't solve the problem that was at hand. _What the fuck do I do about this mess?!_ Reno couldn't help but think to himself. He didn't want Amalia to hear what he had to say; he didn't want her asking questions he didn't have an answer for.

Looking above where he stood, Reno could hear the water from the shower she was taking. The sound was quiet and smooth, but she had been in there for quite some time and Reno wondered if she had used all of the hot water. _Hell, if I was in her position, I'd want to take an extremely long shower as well. But thank Gaia she hasn't really asked me anything. Yet…_

The phone in his hand began to vibrate and Reno nearly ripped the phone in half simply trying to open it. He answered the call and threw the phone back to his ear. "It's 'bout time one of you answered the fucking phone!"

_"What is it you want, Reno?"_ Tseng was the one who called him back – not exactly the person he wanted to talk to.

"Tseng! Look, I seriously need to talk to Rufus, this is important!"

_"What about? Did something happen with Amalia?"_

"Yeah, man…she was attacked…" Reno's voice dropped even as he said it. Normally, it wouldn't have bothered him; Amalia had been used to fighting for a majority of her life. But when it came to this…he just couldn't talk about it. This time was different. For some reason, this attack was personal and he was scared that it was only going to get worse in the future.

_"Alright, hold on, let me go get Rufus."_

"Thanks man…" Reno began pacing around the room, winding his way from the kitchen, back into the living room, into the dining room, and then back to where he stood over by the staircase. A few minutes passed in silence when Rufus finally appeared on the other line.

_"Reno, I heard you have some important news for me," _Rufus stated.

"Sir this is more than important. Ashe was attacked within the last hour by a rookie of the person who's after her."

_"Alright, alright calm down Reno."_

"H-how do you expect me to _calm down_, sir?! My girlfriend was attacked by the people after her. This is getting to be serious – they're finally starting to take action."

_"I am well aware of that, Reno. But Amalia is there with you, is she not?"_

He shook his head to himself. "No, she's in the shower as we speak. The man wounded her shoulder pretty badly so she's cleaning up."

_"I see. Alright, I'm going to need you to tell me everything that happened. And be as specific as you can be."_ And so Reno began by explaining how she went on a morning run to relieve some stress from now sleeping. _There's no way in hell I'm telling him the real reason why, _Reno thought. From there, he described the hysteric call he received from her to how he attacked the stranger when he finally made it to her side.

_"Ok, so did this man say anything about his motive? Or why he was sent there in the first place?"_

"He…" Reno took a deep breath, mainly to calm his over-beating heart, but also to hear if Amalia was still in the shower. He couldn't hear the water running but he knew he had a leeway amount of time before she came back downstairs. "He said that he was sent by his 'master' to survey Ashe's strength. And then he basically had a hissy-fit and claimed that all the glory he had heard about her was all a lie and claimed she was pathetically weak."

_"What?"_ Reno could hear the frustration in his boss' voice. _"How is that possible? Amalia is…unbelievably strong."_

"And I told him that her power is stronger than his and mine combined, but he wouldn't believe me. He then stated that she was…oh how did he say it…" Reno looked at the ground, forcing his memory to kick into gear. "That…Amalia is destined to save the world and that she needs more anger…"

_"Hmmm, that is interesting."_

"Rufus? What're we gonna do about this?" Even Reno could hear the shakiness in his voice – and that scared the shit out of him.

_ "Like I said – calm down. You need to keep a straight face in front of Amalia."_

"But Sir -"

_"Reno just listen to what I'm telling you: stay by her side. I get that Amalia is a very _**independent**_ woman, but you need to stay with her as long as you can. I hate to admit this, but if all they're going to do right now is attack her, we can at least handle that, for now. And with you by her side, two people fighting them and learning their strategies, the better it is for us to protect her in the long run."_

"Sir…"

_ "What is it Reno?"_

Reno took a deep breath. "I have your word that Ashe will stay safe?"

Rufus stayed silent for a few minutes. He didn't know how to answer the question, so he stated the most plausible answer he could muster. _"We'll try our hardest."_

"No offence, sir, but that's not very reassuring."

_"I apologize, Reno, but we're doing the best we can_." Now it was his boss' turn to take in a deep breath. _"Listen, breathe, we'll get through this. Has Amalia questioned anything?"_

"No. As far as I know, she just thinks that this was a random stranger who decided to fight her because he could. He might have said something to her before I got there, but if he did, she acts of if she knows nothing."

_"Good. Let's keep it that way."_

Reno's ears perked, he could hear Amalia bustling around the room. He knew she was bound to come downstairs in a few. "I think we'll have to cut this short. I think Ashe's done."

_"Ok, we'll discuss the rest of this later and create a game plan if this happens again. We'll record the info you've provided Reno. Let us know immediately if anything else happens."_

"No shit, sir."

_"Reno,"_ Rufus replied sternly.

"I'm out, yo," and Reno hung up on his boss. He knew that Rufus would have a 'talk' with him the next time they met but at that given point of time, he didn't care. He shoved the phone in his back pocket and walked into the kitchen, suddenly wanting a cold beer to down. But as he made his way into the kitchen, it occurred to Reno that there probably weren't any beers in the fridge. _Please, please, please, please…_he begged to himself. But as he opened the door and was, once again, met with the disgusting fumes that reaped his nose, Reno noted that there were indeed zero delicious beers within the cold machine. "Well fuck…"

""What's wrong?"

Upon hearing a voice he didn't expect to receive, Reno tried to back out of the fridge but banged his head into the top shelf of the fridge and instantly yelled curses into the air. Slowly, while holding the back of his head, Reno straightened his body and turned towards Amalia who finally graced her presence from upstairs. Amalia furrowed her eyebrows and attempted to hide her smile, but to no avail, it leaked through.

"Aw, are you ok sweetie?"

"Yeah," Reno replied, as he continued to rub his head. "I'm fine, babe, just a tiny ass bump on the head." Amalia walked towards him and, standing on her tip-toes, she kissed his forehead.

"Better?"

"Always, babe."

"Well good." She peeked at the fridge behind him. "So what you were looking for in that death trap anyways?"

"An ice cold beer; it sounded good." She nodded in agreement. Reaching forward, Reno cupped her cheek. "Hey, you doin' ok?"

She nodded. "Yeah I feel much better, the shower really helped."

"Are you…scared at all?"

She cocked her head to the side. "No..? Why would I be?"

He blinked and tried his hardest to dismiss his surprised expression. "I just…would've thought that this whole attack…thing might have frightened you a bit."

"Well, maybe a little, I guess. I'm more confused than anything." She leaned into his hand, wanting more comfort than he was providing. Taking the hint, Reno pulled her closer until her arms wrapped around his waist and hers around her shoulders. "I'm just going to play this off as the dude was either on some type of 'medication' or just wanted a match with one of the planet's heroes."

"Hmm, you could look at it that way."

"Well then that's how I'm gonna look at it!" She beamed up and him and stole a quick kiss from Reno's lips. He growled on the inside, knowing he desperately wanted more but Amalia was the one who needed to tell him when she was ready. And he would wait as long as he had too; she was completely worth everything to him.

Even long term sexual frustration.

Grabbing her hand, Reno tugged her towards the door. "Come on, let's get out of this apartment and go grocery shopping and get some real food." He glanced at the fridge behind him and cringed. "Gaia knows we need it."

'Good! S'bout damn time, but hold on!" Walking towards the walk-in pantry, Amalia came back with several reusable bags within her arms **(1)**. They were ones she had been collecting since they had all built Edge a few years ago with a majority of them being gifts from Reno. Every time he went on a mission, he would always try and find a new reusable bag she didn't have yet and give it to her when he returned. "Ready!" After both put their shoes on, they walked out the door, with Reno locking it behind them, and they were off.

Walking out of their building, the couple walked across the street where, conveniently, a grocery store was placed. The first time Amalia acknowledged this she laughed and asked Reno if his decision in moving where he lived was coincidental or not and his reply was that it was better to live close to places that sold food since he didn't have a car. It still puzzled her but it really was convenient on such occasions as today so she let it slide.

Entering the air-conditioned store, Reno grabbed a cart while Amalia placed the bags in the small folding section where kids usually sat. On the way there, they each had agreed to hurry with the shopping; Amalia didn't really want to be out in the public but inside the comfortable confines of the apartment with a certain red-head. Reno completely understood because he honestly just wanted to go home, snuggle on the couch and watch movies.

And drink beer – he really needed that beer.

They winded their way through the different isles; Reno pushed while Amalia grabbed what they needed. Gradually, their cart began to fill up and Amalia questioned whether she had enough bags with her or not. Snacks, chocolate, bread, milk, crackers, ice cream, cheese and a whole bunch of other items made it into their cart. Glancing at his watch, Reno noted that they had only been there for almost half-an-hour. _Not bad,_ he thought._ Sometimes we're here way longer than this._

Amalia's voice brought him back to reality. Glancing into the cart, she counted with her fingers everything they had grabbed, mentally noting if there was anything they didn't get. "I…think we got everything. Wait, did we get meat?"

"Yes," Reno replied automatically.

"Even sandwich meat?" He nodded. "What about chips?" He grabbed the bad of barbeque flavor that was positioned directly in front of her face. "Ok. And did we get rice?"

"Yes dear."

"Eggs?"

"Yes."

"Umm…"

"Ashe?"

"Yeah Reno?"

He walked around the cart and held her head in his hands, the tip of his nose brushing against hers. "I think we're good. If we _somehow_ forgot anything, we live across the street. Ok?"

She giggled. "Ok." Kissing her, he walked back around the cart and they proceeded to checkout. Peeking into the cart one last time as they were walking, Amalia grinned and realized they were missing one crucial item. "So, was there anything you wanted that we forgot?"

"Heh, are you kidding me? I didn't overlook anything, we're perfectly fine, yo."

"You sure about that?"

Reno raised an eyebrow at her then looked for himself. "Why? What did you think I… God damn it! I forgot the beer!" Leaving the cart, Reno walked past Amalia, who was grinning from ear to ear, to the next isle and grabbed two twelve-packs of his favorite brand, _Red Dragon_. Walking back, he placed the cases on the bottom rack and saw the look Amalia gave him. He knew he had walked into a trap. "Don't even say it, yo."

"Hey, I didn't say anything."

"Yeah but you were thinking it. I know you too well babe." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they made their way to the registers.

They waited in line and eventually made their way to the front. Ashe glanced around her, there were more people in the store than when she and Reno had arrived. _I wonder why people are shopping today, it's a Tuesday…an important holiday isn't coming up anytime soon. _She shrugged off her thoughts – even the rest of the world needed to purchase food. Assisting Reno with placing the food on the moving conveyor belt, they had all their items packed and paid for in no time. Amalia was still slightly shocked that the amount came close to two-hundred gil. Growing up with just enough money to survive, it still bothered Ashe that Reno could just spend his money the way he wanted, whenever he wanted. _But,_ she tried to argue with herself. _He works for his hard earned money so if he wants to spend it that way, so be it. _

Stepping out of the building, Amalia grabbed as many bags that could fit on her arms and Reno grabbed the rest, somehow managing to carry the two twelve-packs with everything else that was cradling his arms **(2)**. As quickly as they could, they walked across the street, balancing bags and beer in their arms, the couple merged into traffic and diligently waited for the elevator to take them upstairs once they walked inside their building. "This thing doesn't move fast enough," Amalia finally said.

"I don't hear you complaining when we don't have two-hundred gill worth of groceries in our arms, yo."

"Touché my red headed boyfriend," she smiled up in his direction as the machine finally graced the couple with its presence. As soon as they stepped it, the elevator quickly made its way to the top floor where they questioned the sudden speed, but practically ran to the door. Setting a few bags down, along with a much needed sigh of relief, Amalia unlocked the door and Reno stepped in first, pushing the door back more so she could enter. Once inside, she kicked the door shut and waddled to the kitchen where Reno was already placing his bags on the floor. They both stood in front of the fridge, not knowing who should be the unlucky one to mess with the putrid smelling appliance.

"Want to do the usual?"

"Yeah, I ain't volunteering to clean that contraption, yo!" He smiled, with a serious tone etched into his response.

"Alright, let's get this done quick." Holding a fist in front of each other, they both said, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Amalia opted for the paper whereas Reno decided to go with rock.

"Damn it!" He yelled into the air, his eyes glaring at the metal deathtrap he _did not_ want to mess with.

Amalia patted his shoulder. "Don't worry Reno, the sooner you get that shit outa there the sooner you'll be done!"

Mimicking her statement under his breath, he began to work. Cautiously opening the door, Reno scrunched his nose and searched for the culprit. In which, he discovered, was the makings of a takeout container from his favorite sushi place, a half-full carton of milk and small items here and there that had, coincidentally, went past their due date. Grabbing the carton, Reno instantly knew that there was no more liquid inside, all he heard was _clunk, clunk, clunk_ as he shook the carton.

While Reno had been attempting to breathe and not die, Amalia had preoccupied herself by finding the correct spots for everything they had purchased. She found all the items that belonged in the fridge and placed them on the table, then focused on putting all the dry products into the pantry. Once finished, she grabbed the trash can and gave it to Reno, only to thrust her hand over her mouth from upchucking whatever was in her stomach. "Oh dear god!"

Reno threw the few containers he held into the trash can and moved back to the fridge and grabbed some more. "That's what I said, yo!"

"There's gonna be nothing left in your fridge at this point."

"Thus the point of grocery shopping, yo," he replied sarcastically.

"Ha, ha, very funny Reno. You almost done yet?"

"Yep! Got the last of it right here." He walked back to Amalia who held the trash can and he threw away a few more take out boxes.

"Damn Reno! How many times to you go out to get food?" Staring down into the bucket of death, Amalia couldn't believe how much Reno loved take-out.

"Well…remember, there was that week right before I left for my mission where we didn't see each other. And I was too lazy to make any food so I ordered everything I ate."

"And you decided to leave it all in the _fridge_?!"

"Hey!" He gave her the look that sent a shiver down Amalia's spine. Reno wasn't necessarily mad, more the fact that Amalia immediately noticed his stupidity. "I never said I was smart, alright?"

"I know," she walked up and quickly kissed him. "But that never stopped me from loving you."

"Gaia, I hope not."

Setting the trash can away from where they stood, both Reno and Amalia placed the cold products into the now-clean fridge before they lost their coolness. The table was full of products such as milk, cheese, meat, water and then Reno's cases of beer. They opened one case of his beer, placed all the glass bottles inside then set the unopened case on top of the fridge. Glancing around the kitchen, Reno was glad that all their groceries had been put away, all that was left was to take out the trash, but he didn't really feel like it just yet. But, the longer his eyes lingered on the deadly bag of noxious vapors, he ultimately decided that he had to do it – it would save them in the long run. Grabbing the bag, he walked towards the door and turning towards Amalia, who was turning the corner to make her way upstairs, and said, "Babe, I'm headed down to the trashcan. I need to get rid of this thing before we suffocate to death."

She smiled. "Got it Reno, I'll see you in a few."

Hearing the click shut, Amalia made her way upstairs to their bedroom, desperately wanting to change her clothes into something comfy. After what happened earlier that morning, all she wanted to do was sit on the couch and not do a damn thing. Walking inside, she made a beeline straight for their closet and searched for her black sweats and purple tank top Reno had brought her back from Costa Del Sol. Discarding her jeans and simple t-shirt, she quickly changed and sighed, knowing she was much comfier than before. Glancing in the bathroom on her way out, she decided to grab the towel bin and run a load of laundry. Hugging the bin against her hip, Amalia walked down the hallway and opened the door that led to the laundry room.

Walking inside, she set the bin down next to the washing machine and began placing in the towels until the machine was full. Pouring in some detergent, she closed the lid and left the bin where it was, Amalia still had another load to go; no point in dragging it all the way back to their bathroom. As the washer ran the load, Amalia made her way back downstairs, grabbed a water bottle from the kitchen and the bag of yarn that sat on the edge of the couch, the spot where she always kept her yarn when she was working on a crochet project.

Just as she plopped down onto the couch, with her back against the armrest with her legs sprawled across the cushions, Reno walked in through the front door, locked it and headed straight for the kitchen to finally grab a can of beer he had been wanting. Amalia began unwinding the blue ball of yarn until she had enough loose ends to have a good start on the project she had been working on for a while when Reno sat down on the couch and opened his can of beer. Plopping his legs onto the coffee table, a sigh escaped his lips and he turned his head towards Amalia who placed her legs on top of his lap. "Feels good to just _sit_, huh?"

"Oh yes it does," she replied without looking up; her eyes were solely focused on intertwining the yarn, using different stiches such as the Double Crochet, Single Crochet, the Crocodile Stich and even skipping over stitched to create a gap in the yarn **(3)**.

Reno eyed her intently and wondered how Amalia could work with a curved needle and some yarn and be able to create something so intricate and beautiful. "So how's the project coming along?" He took a swig of the beer.

"Good!" She smiled brightly and Reno thanked the gods that she wasn't at all disturbed from this morning's encounter.

"So what all are you making for the kid? I don't think I ever asked you that."

"Well I finished the baby blanket last week, so that's still over at the bar. But right now I'm working on making a shirt and diaper outfit." She stopped crocheting and held up what she had of the shirt. Amalia wasn't sure what gender the baby would be but she believed all babies should be in every color and not stereotyped to what gender they were **(4)**. Right now she was in the midst of completing the shirt portion, the blue and green interweaving of colors was bright and bubbly, something Reno thought her friends would like.

"I think Vincent and Yuffie are going to love it."

"You really think so?" She looked down at her creation and back up at him.

"That I do, yo. They're getting a handmade gift from your for their first child. They would be stupid if they hated it. But that's just my opinion." He took a drink of his beer.

"Aw, that makes me so happy to hear!" She went back to stitching the creation together.

Reno took another drink and before he knew it, he had downed the bottle. Leaning forward, he placed the empty bottle on the table and stretched his limps, finally resting with his arms crossed behind his head. "Have you talked to the couple recently?"

Amalia kept her eyes on the project the entire time, occasionally looking up, but always working the stitches she needed to complete the garment, never once faltering in the process. "Yuffie called me…last week or the week before. She and Vincent are doing great and so is the baby." 

"I forget, yo, how far along is she?"

"I believe she's six months along now."

Reno whistled. "Damn, she'll pop that kid out before we know it, yo."

"I know. But it's exciting isn't it? Out of all of us, she'll be the first person to have a child."

Reno eyed Amalia suspiciously. "Are you…upset by that?"

"No, why would I be?"

"I dunno babe, you just…sounded different when you said that."

"It's not that…" Amalia's fingers moved like clockwork – one stitch, and then another, and another, and another. She could watch an entire movie and still be able to crochet without looking at what she was doing. "I dunno…I'm so happy for her and Vincent, really, I am. Sometimes I just wish it could happen to me."

Shaking his head, Reno couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Wait, are you telling me you want a kid, yo? I thought she weren't sure whether that's what you wanted?"

She shook her head. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"But, then what…" Reno blinked a few times when she stopped and actually looked up at him. "_Oh_. Ok, never mind, I get it."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry babe."

"Don't be!" She smiled. "I'm not mad or anything. Just stupid girl feelings. It happens." She continued to smile and Reno questioned whether or not to believe the honesty of her answer. Amalia was a complex woman; as long as he had known her, she was completely different compared to all the other females he had known in his life – even those he had slept with. Reno knew she eventually wanted to settle down and get married, but she wasn't the type that felt pressured to marry as soon as she had the chance; she enjoyed the life she was given. This made Reno smile, knowing that he was a part of her life and how he provided some of her happiness.

He was about to ask her another question when he cell began to vibrate in his pocket. Fumbling for the device, Amalia peered over her project and raised an eyebrow. He knew she was questioning the same thing. "If this is Rufus telling me to come into work today I'm gonna be pissed…" Finally pulling the device out of his pocket, Reno laughed when he saw the caller id. Answering it, he yelled, "Rude, partner! What's up, yo?"

_"Hello Reno. How's Amalia doing? I heard from Rufus what happened."_

"Oh. Well she's ok. Wanna talk to her directly?" Rude mumbled a reply and Reno handed the phone to Amalia, who eagerly wanted to talk to his partner. She placed the project down in her lap and instantly put the phone to her ear.

"Hiya Rude!" Reno couldn't help but smile. _Who would've thought that these two would become best pals like they are? But then again, so much has changed these past few years; I really should stop questioning the unbelievable. _"What did I do to receive a phone call from you today?"

_"I haven't talked to you in a while and wanted to see if Reno was treating you right."_

Amalia stole a peek at Reno who raised an eyebrow. "Oh don't worry. This red-head is treating me just fine."

_ "Good, that's what I like to hear."_

"So why did you really call, Rude?"

_ "I – uh…"_

"Rude, you're just like Reno; I can tell when you guys really need something. Now spill."

_"Hmm. Well, I know you're spending some time with Reno but I was wondering if we could hit the bar for a few drinks?"_

"Why are you asking me? Reno's a big boy, he can decide if he wants to go on his own."

_ "Yeah but, it's his time off and he's spending it with you."_

"So? If he wants to go I won't stop him." Amalia laughed. Rude was such a sweetheart. "Look, I'm cool with it, seriously. Just promise both of you won't get completely plastered, ok? I would appreciate it if he didn't come home reeking of alcohol."

_"Yes ma'am."_

"Good. Then here's Reno. Have a hard drink for me Rude!" She handed the phone back to the red-head and began to work on the project again. She giggled here and then as she shook her head.

"Yo, Rude, so what's happening?"

_ "We're hitting a bar. I need a drink and I think you do too."_

"Hey I'm totally down! Are you there now? Same place?"

_ "No, I'm at Moogle's Place."_

"'k, I'll be there soon."

_ "Bye."_

Reno shut the phone and looked over at Amalia. "He told you he wanted to go drinking, didn't he?"

"Course I did. He wanted to ask for my permission so you could go. I told him I didn't care; if you want to go I'm not gonna stop you."

"Damn girl, I seriously don't deserve you."

"I know, just keep reminding yourself that."

"So what're you gonna do while I'm gone?" Moving her legs, Reno stood and stretched his back as Amalia moved her legs back along the couch.

"Work on this and probably put a movie in. You know I prefer to have some background noise."

"Want me to put it in for you?"

Stopping her movements, Amalia looked at Reno and smiled. "That would be amazing."

"Let me guess…_Rush Hour_?" **(5)**

"You know me too well."

"I know, keep reminding yourself that." She stuck her tongue out as Reno placed the movie in the system and handed her the remote. "Anything else, angel?"

"Um…I could go for a beer myself."

"No problem." Reno walked into the kitchen but as his feet stepping onto the tile flooring he waited three seconds before…

"Oh Reno? Could I also have a bowl of chips, please?"

"Coming up!" _I knew she wanted something else_, Reno thought as he poured the BBQ chips into a bowl and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Walking back into the living room, he pulled the table closer to the couch and placed the bowl and the beer on the wood surface. "All right. Sure you don't need anything else babe?"

She smiled up at him and he returned the facial expression. "No, I'm good. But you should leave so you don't keep Rude waiting."

"Oh he'll be fine, Ashe. Mind if I take _Shiva_?" She shook her head and he leaned forward to kiss the top of her head. "I don't know how long I'll be gone but I promise I won't be super late, yo."

"Just stay safe – that's all I ask, ok? Oh! And please don't come home reeking of alcohol. I already warned Rude of that as well."

"That I can promise babe." Grabbing her keys off the small stand by the door, Reno said goodbye and left the apartment and took the stairs down to the main floor before he sped off on his girlfriend's motorcycle.

~ oOo ~

"Rude, why did you really call me here?" Reno took a long swig of his beer before setting it back on the bar. He looked over at his sunglass-clad friend and watched as Rude already finished his first beer.

"Damn, you and Amalia both?"

"Both what?"

"You both can tell when someone needs something that they're not expressing."

"Oh you need something partner? What is it?"

"No, Reno, I don't need anything."

Reno blinked and slowly took another drink, becoming confused as each second passed. "Than…we're here cause…why?"

Rude gently slammed his empty mug on the counter. "Rufus told me what happened to Amalia."

"Ah, that. I figured he would inform you and the others. What all did he tell you?"

"Everything you told him. So it really did happen, huh?"

"Yeah. Scary shit happened this morning." Reno began retelling Rude exactly what happened, beginning from when Amalia left the apartment until they finally left the outskirts and made it back home. It had taken Reno about twenty minutes to explain everything to Rude, he kept stopping every few minutes, not able to handle what he was saying. _Damn, this is getting hard_, he thought. _I can't even tell Rude. If all that happened was her getting attacked, how am I going to happen if anything worse happens to Ashe?_

The bartender came back around and refilled his mug. He knew who Reno and Rude were, since they were familiar customers and knew the drinks each Turk preferred to have. "Sup Reno, Rude! How've you two been lately? Haven't seen ya in quite a while!"

"Sorry Max, we had some stuff to take care of for work."

"Ah, Rufus still keepin' you busy, eh?"

"When needed," Rude stated.

"Well, it puts money on the table, does it not?"

"That it does!" Reno said and tilted his head back as the alcohol seeped down his throat. "Damn, that's the stuff!"

"Reno, where's your pack of smokes, man? You're usually smoking one by know."

"Max, didn't you hear?" The bartender looked at Rude and held a questionable expression. "He quit - about three years ago."

"What?!" Max turned towards Reno, who only drank more of his beer. "Why'd you quit, man? You were addicted to those things!"

"I quit for my girl." Was all Reno said, though on the inside, he was beaming. Yeah he had loved smoking, but he loved Amalia more and she couldn't stand him smoking or the smell. It affected her lungs too much and she would always have severe coughing fits whenever he smoked around her so he up and quit for her sake, as well his.

"You tellin' me you quit _three years ago_ and I didn't notice?!"

"Sorry Max, but you're not that observant," Reno said.

"Well damn. I mean, congrats. I bet it was ridiculously hard since you probably smoked a pack a day, if not more. That means you've got one lucky girl for you to up and quit for her."

Reno's voice dropped. "Yeah, she means everything to me."

Max refilled his glass for the second time. "Then do everything you can to keep her safe. It's about time you settle down with someone you care deeply for." Max walked off to go assist other customers, but Reno and Rude could hear him mutter as he walked off, _"Three freaking years…"_

Rude spoke up. "Reno, listen. Don't let today bother you. As long as you stay by her side, everything will be ok."

"Heh…thanks partner. I'm stressin' myself out by thinking about this shit. Today just…scared the living shit outa me. What if something worse happens to her in the future? What if I'm not there?"

"Like I said, don't worry about it. Rufus is working on something right now."

"Oh, is he now?"

"Yeah. He wants to keep Amalia safe just as you do." Rude took a drink. "He cares about her in his own way."

Reno peered at his friend. "Seriously? We're talkin' about Rufus Shinra, right?"

"Think about it. She's practically the reason he survived the attack from Weapon back then. It's almost like he's in her debt."

"And he told you this directly?"

"No. Just a hunch I have." Rude down his beer. "So what else has been happening to you lately? Did _it_ finally happen?" Knowing what he meant, Reno shook his head and drank his own beer, knowing that his partner was staring at him wide-eyed from behind his dark lenses. "Still nothing? Damn. Ironic how you were the womanizer out of all of us then the moment you get into a serious relationship, you can't get laid."

"It doesn't really bother me, yo."

"Shit, man! Last time we went drinking you told me it did. So what's the truth?"

"I'm being honest here. Amalia and I had a serious talk last night after we had dinner. She finally told me her reasons for us not having sex."

Rude waited patiently as his partner starred down at his half-full mug. "So what'd she say?"

Reno took a deep breath. "She's afraid that once we have sex I'll leave her." He peered over at Rude who actually dropped his mouth down to the counter. "She knows that I used to get laid…quite often and she's come to this conclusion that I'm only with her so I can have sex then leave and go on my merry way."

Rude was quite for a second. "Wow…" he whispered.

"I know. I couldn't believe it last night when she told me. I still find it hard to believe."

"It makes sense though, when you think about it."

"Aw man, why do you say it like that, yo?"

"Reno, face it – you were quite infamous in Midgar for sneaking your way into girl's pants for a night of stupid fun. In comes Amalia, who has never had a serious relationship before, and you two end up being together – for four years, if I might add. Hate to say it buddy, but I can see why she's afraid."

Reno stayed quiet and looked back down at the remaining liquid in his mug. He knew Rude was right, it made sense when his partner stated it like that. "Damn…" He set the mug down and threw his face into his hands. "I'm not upset with her. I'm angry and frustrated with myself! I never wanted to hurt her with my frivolous past!"

"I know you didn't Reno. What did you tell her?"

He drew in a shaky breath. "I told her that I'd let her decid. Whenever she was ready is when we would do it."

"I think that's your best bet."

"Strange thing is…if we never have sex…I wouldn't mind." Reno looked over at Rude who, once again, had dropped his mouth, this time all the way to the floor. "What, yo?

"Ok, who the hell are you and what have you done with Reno the Turk?"

"Man, it's still me! I'm being serious here, yo!"

"I know you are Reno it's just…damn! I never thought I'd here you say that."

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I want to have sex with her, I want to have that connection with her but…she is so unbelievably special to me that I'd rather give up sex for the rest of my life than lose her. Is that bad?"

"No, that just means you've found your soulmate."

"I think so too partner, I think so too."

"So…"

"So…what?"

"When you gonna ask her to marry your sexless ass?"

~ oOo ~

The clocked chimed exactly ten o'clock when Reno walked through the door to his apartment; he and Rude had stayed at the bar for a few hours. Reno stopped drinking after two beers and had water for the rest of the night whereas Rude kept having one beer after another, eventually stopping after six, but the man had a stomach of gold and could ingest alcohol as if it was air. As he locked the door, Reno sighed. Although he it had been a great stress reliever to talk to his longtime partner, Reno was simply happy to be home with Amalia.

"Hey Ashe, I'm home." He took a few steps away from the door and was about to call her name again when he spotted her on the couch. Chuckling to himself, Reno walked to the edge of the couch and stood there, his eyes set of the beautiful creature that lay before him. Amalia was lying on her side; cuddled under the blanket she made Reno for his birthday last year with the fabric pulled up to cover her mouth. Her eyes were gently shut and her blonde cascade of hair tumbled behind her and framed her face against the pillow.

Reno couldn't help but stare at the most mesmerizing spectacle before him. He was appalled at the beauty Amalia held and couldn't grasp the idea that she was his and continued to be his. Rude's words from earlier that night echoed in his head. _When you gonna ask her to marry your sexless ass?_ He knew Rude was right, they had been together long enough and were basically living together; he knew her inside and out as she did him. Without a doubt Reno wanted to stay with Amalia as long as possible but…marriage?

Shaking his head, Reno quietly turned off the television and pulled the crocheted blanket off of Amalia's soft body. When the room temperature blew against her delicate skin, she curled up into a tighter ball, her lips quivering from the lack of heat she had grown accustomed too. Folding the blanket and tossing it into the chair, Reno turned off the rest of the lights, save for the light above the stairs so he could see, and lifted Amalia into his arms. One arm cradled her legs while the other held a strong grip against her back. Though still in a deep sleep, Amalia cuddled against Reno's warm body, her head unconsciously found the crook of his neck where she always placed it. Leaving the confines of downstairs, Reno made his way to the bedroom and placed Amalia on her side.

Quickly and quietly as he could, he began to disrobe her still clothed body._ I find it odd that Ashe's still in her normal clothes_, Reno explained to himself as her pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. _Usually when Ashe knows she might fall asleep she changes into her pajamas. Has she been asleep since I left?_ Walking to the dresser, Reno pulled out a clean shirt for him and one for Amalia and a pair of his boxers she could wear. Walking back to her side, Reno pulled her body towards him so she was sitting in an upright position, her head rolled against his chest as he placed her arms through the shirt and eventually over her head. Reno kept his eyes closed so he would not be tempted to glance at her semi naked self. He kept her bra on, knowing she would really be mad at him if he took it off himself without her knowing. _Sorry angel, I'll understand if you get mad, but I wanted you to sleep in something more comfortable_. Same went for her shorts. As he pulled them down and off her slim hips, he closed his eyes and quickly dressed her in his boxers. Mentally, Reno could hear his past self, who was laughing at him but Reno ignored it. He was doing what would make Amalia happy and that was all he cared about.

Finally dressing himself, Reno had just thrown his shirt onto the floor when he heard Amalia mumble behind him. Turning to the bed, he saw she turned onto her side, her eyes squeezed together ad her breathing had increased. _She must be having a bad dream_.

"Reno…" Amalia whispered softly. _Or, maybe not_, he thought.

Putting his own shirt on, Reno stood at the foot of the bed and watched as Amalia tossed all over her side of the bed, until she eventually found herself lying on her back. Her head continued to move left and right as her hands moved slowly up her body. "Ohhhh…Reno…" she whispered again.

Reno's eyes immediately widened. _Holy fuck. Is she…?_ Amalia gasped lightly and her head tilted backwards, her mouth slightly open as her breath came and went in short, heated pants. She continued to moan and whimper, redness glowed upon her cheeks and Reno instantly knew what she was dreaming about. "Holy fuck, that is so hot," he whispered to himself.

Taking off his pants, Reno didn't need to glance down to know that there was pressure within his boxers. He knew his erection was growing the more he watched and listened to Amalia. He had seen her when she really wanted to kiss him or after a long make-out session. But never before had he seen her so…turned on. Reno's hands fell to the bulge and lightly touched it. He gasped but quickly pulled away, though his breathing wouldn't calm down. _Damn! As hot as this is right now, it'd feel wrong to do something while Amalia's asleep. But fuck! That mouth, her legs, her…_

"Reno…" Amalia's voice eluded Reno's thoughts and he was brought back to staring at his lustful girlfriend. "Oh god…Reno!" _Son of a bitch!_ "D-don't stop…Reno please…I want…to feel your tongue, p-please…" _Oh man, I've never heard this from Ashe before. This is…oh fuck, I can't…I gotta do something…_

Just as Reno edged the tips of his fingers into the waistband of his boxers, Amalia cried out, her voice bouncing off the walls, straight into his ears and down into his groin. "Reno! I'm gonna…gah!" Tilting her head back, Amalia moaned as she arched her back. At that moment, Reno withheld a scream within his own throat as he exploded within his boxers. Reno and Amalia's breathing synced in unison as both attempted to control their breathing. A few minutes passed as Amalia grew quiet and rolled onto her side again, the last words to escape her mouth before she feel back into a deep sleep were, "Don't stop loving me."

Reno blinked his eyes several thousand times; he could not believe what just happened, but as his semen slowly dripped down his leg, Reno was brought back to the now. As quick as he could, he grabbed a clean pair of boxers and dashed towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Dropping the semen-covered material, Reno grabbed his used towel from this morning and scrubbed the milky liquid off him and dried his thighs. _Holy fuck, holy shit, holy motherfucker…_

Once clean, Reno replaced his dirty boxers with a clean pair and gripped the edge of the counter. Staring at himself, Reno exhaled a sigh and shook his head. _What the hell just happened? I…I can't believe it. Amalia just – and then I…? Wow…I didn't do a damn thing and that's what happened? _Looking back into the mirror, he smiled softly whispered, "I fucking love that woman." Reno pulled the leather strap that bound his hair and placed it on the counter. He walked back into the room and lay down next to Amalia, who instantly cuddled against him as he placed an arm around her. "I love you, Reno…" was the last thing Reno heard before his eyes drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

~ oOo ~

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**(1): Reusable bags: seriously, please use them if you have them! I use them all the time when I go grocery shopping or need to hit Target. They are great and safe for the environment! Plus, some places will take off 10-20 cents off your total per bag you use :) **_

_**(2): It is possible to carry A LOT of grocery bags at once – I've done it! I don't recommend it though…**_

_**(3): I crochet myself and I just HAD to include this in here as well. Crocheting is so much fun! **_

_**(4): This is a belief of my own. I think babies should be in all colors, not just feminine or masculine colors that represent a baby girl or a baby boy. Besides, I don't like pink so I'd dress a girl in blue all the time! :)**_

_**(5): An awesome movie, if anyone wanted my opinion.**_

_**Ohhh, things are starting to get spicy aren't they? I know, the ending might seem like something that probably can't, or won't, happen but this is a fictional story and – hello! – this is **__**Final Fantasy**__** we're talking about. Anything can happen!**_

_**I hope everyone enjoyed. And I promise that I'll try to update sooner next time but I only have a few weeks left of school and then I graduate! Meaning I'll be busy – but I can't forget everyone whose read my story!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_**Hello everyone! I know, it's been a month since I last posted and I am deeply sorry. I have explained at the end why I haven't posted anything, but I'm hoping that this LONG chapter will make up for it! I had a somewhat hard time writing this chapter, so if anything becomes too confusing or something doesn't quite add up, feel free to PM me or ask in a review comment. I will be happy to answer any questions anyone might have! :)**_

_**Please enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

"Well good morning angel."

Amalia blinked her eyes several times before finally opening them for good. Her vision was blurred, but as her eyes adjusted to the morning light shining through the curtains, Reno came into view. He was propped up on his elbow, staring downwards at Amalia, who was still wrapped in the comforter. Stretching her arms above her head, Amalia rolled onto her back and arched her spine. She yawned and wrapped the blanket around her again, not ready to get up.

"What, you wanna go back to sleep?" Amalia shook her head and mumbled an inaudible sound.

"Ashe, you slept for almost eleven hours straight."

Her eyes shot open and look up towards Reno, who was still smiling down at her. "Seriously? Eleven hours?"

"I'm guessing so. I came home at ten last night and you were out cold and…" he glanced at the clock. "Right now it's a little after eight."

"Well fuck…"

"Did you want to go for a run today?"

She stretched again and curled into Reno's side. "No not really, I just didn't think I'd sleep that long. I'm wondering if it's from yesterday…"

Reno's heartbeat quickened within his chest. "It very well could've been, yo." He began to stroke her hair and Amalia groaned in response. She loved it when he played with her hair, it was always relaxing and sometimes she had to practically beg him to do it. "So what's on the agenda today angel?"

"I didn't have anything planned."

"Me neither, I was hoping you would think of something."

Amalia sat straighter on the bed and leaned against the headboard, stretching her still sleeping legs, but kept the blanket wrapped around her front. "Hmm, well we could - "

But as she was about to suggest something, Reno's phone began to vibrate on the nightstand and he groaned in annoyance as he reached behind his back to grab it. Looking at who was calling him in the early morning, he let out an even deeper groan when he noticed it was his boss calling him. "Damn, it's Rufus."

"So answer it."

"Do I have to, yo?" He looked her in the eye and Amalia narrowed her eyebrows, giving him a silent answer. He sighed and flipped the phone open. "'sup boss, whatcha need?"

"_I hate to ask this of you Reno but you need to come in today."_

He groaned again and ran a hand through his messy red mane of hair. "Seriously boss? I thought you said we were given a few days off while Elena heals?"

"_I know what I said, Reno, but this is important. We received another one."_

Reno stayed silent for a while, his brain registering Rufus' words. "Oh shit. When?"

"_Within the last hour. That's why I need you to come in. I'm sending Rude with the chopper, he'll be there within the hour to pick you up."_

"Alright boss, I'll be ready."

"_I'm really sorry Reno, I didn't want to call you but…this is something you'll need to see."_

"Understood, sir." He closed the phone and shook his head. His heartbeat increased tenfold and he had to restrain himself from increasing his breathing. Amalia was still sitting next to him and by the time he looked over at her, he held a smile on his face, hoping she wouldn't realize that it was bogus.

"So…why do you gotta go into work?" She cocked her head to the side, wanting to know why.

"Oh, you know Rufus, he wants to brief over what happened during our last mission. He probably could've done it yesterday but he was probably letting us have some time together. It shouldn't take all day, at least I'm hoping." Reno cupped Amalia's cheek and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. "Are you mad?"

She shook her head and kissed his thumb. "Nah. I knew what I was getting into when we got together. I'd be mad if it was another mission though…"

"I know you'd be. Trust me, I would too."

_A chocobo is calling you, kweh! A chocobo is calling you, kweh!_

It was Amalia's turn to look at her phone on the nightstand by her side of the bed. She grabbed it and smiled. "Oh, it's Cloud!" She held a finger towards her lips as she answered it. "Hey big brother!"

"_Morning Ashe. Did I wake you?"_

"Nope, you're good! Did you need something?"

"_Remember a few days ago when I asked if you could help me with a deliver this week? I need your help today."_

"Ah, no problem."

"_Good, can you meet me here within the next hour?"_

"I can be there Cloudy! You said we're taking these deliveries to Kalm?"

"_Yes. I have all of the packages here so we'll just need to load them up and head out."_

"Ah ok, then I'll see you soon." She heard a faint click as Cloud ended the call on his end so she shut her phone and turned to Reno who was staring at her.

"So, you got somewhere to be today too, huh?"

"Cloud asked me the day you came home if I could assist him with a delivery to Kalm. Apparently the guy ordered quite a bit and it can't all fit in _Fenrir_, that's why Cloud needs me."

"I see. But, Ashe?"

"Yes?"

He cupped her cheek again. "Promise you'll be careful?"

She copied his movements and cupped his cheek as well. "I promise, Reno, nothing is going to happen."

"Wanna make a bet on that?"

"Are you proposing that I might get hurt today?"

"No, you just seemed so sure yesterday that nothing would happen." Amalia puffed her cheeks and her skin grew red as her anger sprang forth. "Hey, I don't want start a fight, yo, I just don't want to see my angel get hurt."

She angled her neck and kissed his palm. "Don't worry, I'll keep a sharp eye on my surroundings. And I've got my brother with me. No problem there, he'll help me Reno."

Reno leaned down and looked into her different colored eyes. He knew that he couldn't keep her locked up in their apartment, but after yesterday, he feared what would happen, just as he explained to Rude at the bar. He had to trust that Cloud would keep his angel safe. "Alright, go make that huge delivery. But I've got my cell on me if anything happens, ya here? Whether it's you or Cloud, I expect a call." He received his answer in the form of her lips smothering his.

~ oOo ~

Exactly an hour had passed when the couple had stood from the warm confines of their bed and began to dress for the day. They had said their goodbyes in the apartment, after Reno had forced Amalia to take her Master Cure with her, as he took the stairs to the roof whereas he took the stairs towards the parking lot where _Shiva_ waited for her. Amalia could hear the thumping of the chopper's blades before she could even exit the building. Straddling the bike, she watched the sky as the chopper, with Reno driving the Shinra machine, as if lifted off of the roof and flew in the direction towards Healen Lodge. She could faintly see the images of her lover and Rude wave through the glass as she ignited her precious bike and sped in the opposite way towards Seventh Heaven.

It was a clear day with a gentle breeze blowing across the streets of the already bustling city of Edge. But with the speed Amalia was going, her hair flopped back and forth as she zoomed between different streets and rounded corners; by the time she eased on the brakes, her hair was completely dry, just as she liked it. Cloud was already outside with a pile of packages near the bar entrance as he was placing what he could inside of his bike. He heard Amalia pull up against the side of his bike but only glanced at his sister when she completely shut the engine off. "Why are you the punctual one in the family?"

She quickly glanced at her phone and noticed that it had been exactly an hour since Cloud had called her. "Hey, at least you got the perfect hair."

"Tch, what're you talking about?"

"Come on Cloud, seriously? You're hair automatically forms those perfect spikes! I've always resented that – my hair doesn't do jack crap."

"Well sure it does." Standing from his position, he walked over to his little sister and grabbed a section of her waist-length hair. "Ashe, you're hair has always had a beautiful natural curl to it."

"Really?" She grabbed the piece out of his hand and held it within her field of vision. She had never really noticed it before, but her hair, once it hit her shoulders, held a soft curl that stretched all the way to toward the ends; this realization made her smile. _I think I know why Reno loves my hair so much_, she told herself. "Thanks Cloudy." Her brother offered her one of his rare smiles, but being his sister, she could easily tell that this was genuine and not a fake one he had used to deceive her in the past. She immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed. "Aw, I love you big brother!"

"Love you too, Ashe."

She let go, knowing he was slightly embarrassed and looked at the stack of packages that had yet been stored in their bikes. "So how much room do you have left in yours?"

"Mines already full. I think we'll be able to get a majority of what's left in yours – they're mainly small anyways. There are four bigger ones, those we'll just have to tie on top of the compartment and keep an eye on them."

"You got it boss." They spent the next twenty minutes filling _Shiva_ with smaller packages until they could barely shut the lid, but once they did, the siblings heaved a sigh, glad they were able to fit as many as they could. But just as Cloud had stated, there were still four bigger packages left but after another ten minutes of maneuvering, they had two tied onto each bike. As they each started the engines of their bikes and placed their respective goggles on to protect their eyes from any loose debris, Amalia looked over at her brother and said, "So deliver these to Kalm and back?"

"That's the gist of it."

"Doesn't seem too bad."

"That's if you can keep up." With that, Cloud gunned it and sped off towards the gate leading to the outside of town. By the time Amalia realized the trick her brother had pulled she was cussing towards the heavens and gunning her own bike. By the time she had managed to land herself next to Cloud, they were already passed the city limits, leaving the town behind in the dust of their tire tracks. "Hey spikey! You play dirty," she yelled as she inched her bike closer to his precious _Fenrir_. Cloud smirked and pushed his bike further, the siblings racing neck-in-neck the entire way towards the peaceful city of Kalm.

The once forty-five minute drive took them less than half-an-hour. When they reached the edge of the city, they both decreased their ridiculous death speed and Amalia dropped in line behind Cloud. He knew where they were to deliver the packages whereas she did not. Better to follow the navigator than to get lost and ruin the delivery – it would not look good for their business. They moved through the crowded streets of Kalm before arriving at civilian's house on the opposite side of town. Stopping their bikes, Amalia walked to the door to greet their customer while Cloud stayed behind and began untying the packages and pulling them out of their compartments.

Knowing on the door three times, Amalia was greeted a few seconds later by a younger gentleman with a round face and spikes of brown hair. He smiled at her and said, "Yes, how can I help you?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but my name is Amalia and I work for _Strife Delivery Service_. I am here with my brother, Cloud, to drop off a fairly large delivery you had ordered?"

"Oh. Oh yes! So soon? Man, I must give you two props, for some reason I wasn't expecting you guys until later in the week!" The man rubbed the back of his neck and offered a friendly smile.

"Well what can I say, sir? _Strife Delivery Service_ will surprise you with your speed." Pulling a few papers out of the folder Cloud had given her; she held them in front of the customer and produced a pen. "I was wondering if you could sign this? It's just a receipt showing us that you acknowledge we have delivered your packages and have accepted them."

"Sure, no problem." He signed the papers and Amalia put them back in the folder so they could be filed once they returned back to Edge. "Alright sir, let me go assist my brother in bringing you all of your packages. If you'll just give us a moment," she turned and walked back towards her brother who had already pulled all of the packages out of both vehicles and had placed them in order by size. He grabbed the larger packages that had been strapped on the bikes where she grabbed two stacks of the smaller boxes.

The gentleman directed them towards his garage where he helped the siblings place his order in the middle of the floor. After a few minutes, they had all the packages lined up where he wanted them. "Why, thank you two, I can't express how happy I am for these boxes!"

Amalia's curiosity piqued and she questioned the gentleman. "Sir, if I may ask, why did you order so many packages?"

"Oh, you see, my wife and I recently married a few months ago and we honeymooned in Costa Del Sol and she fell in love with different kinds of merchandise they had there; lotions, perfumes, and clothing. So, I had her make a list and I secretly ordered them for her since her birthday is next week. It may seem like a lot, but I ordered some items for myself as well as for our new house. You know, to spice it up a bit, eh?"

"Oh my, that is so sweet! And congratulations and happy birthday to your wife, sir!"

"Oh well, thank you. Here," he walked towards both Cloud and Amalia and placed a small wrapped bundle into their palms. "This is just a token of my gratitude for everything you've done."

Cloud took a peek into his hand and tried to give it back to the customer who shook his head and back away. "But, sir, all we did was deliver these boxes. Surely there's no reason for you to tips us, nor tip us this generously."

"Nope! I insist! I have been using your delivery service, Mr. Strife, for quite some time and I've always had good service with your small company. So please, take it and treat your sister to lunch or something."

"Well thank you sir, this is much appreciated." Amalia bowed slightly, completely caught off guard by this man's unexpected generosity.

The siblings bid the man a good afternoon and they took off on their bikes, leaving behind a trail of dust as they made their way back through the city. They had briefly stopped by the edge of the city and agreed to skip lunch since neither were hungry for food, so they left through the same gate that they had entered. The sun had risen directly above them and Amalia had to guess that it was probably close to noon; they had spent some time with the delivery. But as she continued to glance into the sky while trying to steer her bike, her mind wandered to Reno and pondered if everything was going smoothly with the other Turks. But as Amalia continued to daydream, she barely registered that Cloud had suddenly slammed on his brakes, prompting his sister to follow suit.

Cloud's goggled-covered face scanned the wilderness around them; they had left Kalm nearly ten minutes earlier and the city could no longer be seen from their position. Amalia's heartbeat quickened but she eased her mind and it settled to a somewhat slower pace. She looked at her brother whose eyebrows were furrowed together; something was bothering him – that was never a good sign. "What's wrong?" Amalia finally asked after a few quite moments.

"We're being followed."

Her thoughts were immediately taken back to earlier that morning when Reno told her to be careful and to call him if anything were to happen. _Well fuck! I'm glad I opted to not make that stupid bet with him…but…wait a minute, how is it Reno always seems to tell me to be careful when something happens?_ Her thoughts were suddenly cut short when Cloud's raspy voice interrupted her. "Amalia! Duck!"

She turned her head and instantly recognized the swiveling curved edge of the dagger that had poisoned her yesterday. Bending her back until her spine lay flat against the seat of the bike, the blade hummed past her and Cloud until it came in contact with the ground merely three feet away from Amalia's feet. Glancing towards her right, she recognized the male standing on the edge of a cliff off in the distance. His frame was too small to notice the grin on his face but he was just visible enough for Amalia to place her hand over the fresh scar on her shoulder. Waving his hand in the air, the blade zoomed back towards the man and he lifted his hand into the air to catch it. "So," he yelled across the distance that separated them. "It would seem you healed quite nicely from our fight yesterday, Amalia."

"Tch, I thought Reno taught you a lesson yesterday!" Cloud quickly glanced at his sister when she had yelled the Turk's name but he brushed it off and turned his attention back to the sudden stranger encountering them. "He kicked your ass, which should've been your clue to leave me alone!"

"But I don't see you're lovely Reno here with you, now, do I?" He noticed the absence of her argument. "I'm right, he isn't here, is he, my sweet Amalia?" His words sent a chill down her spine and Amalia cringed.

But it was Cloud's turn to speak. "What do you want with us?"

"Ah, well if it isn't the infamous Cloud Strife, older brother to the notorious Amalia Strife."

Amalia growled within her throat, not liking where this was headed. "What the fuck do you want?"

Jumping off from his current location, he leapt until he was on the same ground level as the siblings, but still stayed about fifty feet away from them. "You're healed and I want another match. I want to see your true strength."

This gained Cloud's attention and he turned towards his sister. "What the hell is he talking about, Ashe?"

Not knowing what to say, she shook her head before looking directly into her brother's eyes. "I honestly don't know. I'll have to tell you later but…he injured me yesterday so I beg you, let me fight him, but if it gets too dangerous, please intervene and save me."

"Save you…?"

"I…almost died yesterday…" Amalia whispered, but it was loud enough for her brother to hear and his eyes widened, not expecting to hear such words come from his sister's mouth.

"Are you ready, my sweet?"

Amalia did nothing except push a red button next to the one that opened her eyeglass container, which opened the sword compartments on both sides of the bike. Unlike Cloud's, where he contained each individual blade for his Fusion Sword, Amalia used two blades; they were longer and more narrow than a buster sword but were just as thick as they were deadly. She was skilled with dual blades and only needed two. Standing from the bike, Amalia walked a few feet towards the man who only watched as she moved in his direction.

"Think you'll be able to provide me with a worthy fight today, my sweet?"

"I have never, nor will I ever be, your sweet."

"Oh, that's right. You're Reno's sweetheart, are you not?" She growled within her throat and the man threw back his head and laughed towards the heavens. Leaping towards him, Amalia visually disappeared as her anger, combined with her quickened agility thanks to her mako injections, allowed her to appear before the crazed man within a second as she landed a well-earned right hook against his cheek. The man was not expecting for Amalia took initiate the fight and he was sent flying backwards as his back slammed against the side of the cliff. He fell towards the ground and almost immediately stood to his feet as he wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Starting things off quick, huh, my sweet?"

"I told you – I am not your sweet!"

"If I can defeat you, you will be. Take this!" He soared towards her and Amalia barely had enough time to blades in front of her body for defense. He stared into her eyes as he pushed his curved blades against her buster ones; she pushed back with equal strength. "I see, you're reflexes are quicker than they were yesterday."

"I am not a piece of shit like you called me yesterday."

"You're still gonna have to prove me wrong on that, my sweet."

"You _fucker_! Stop calling me that!" Placing a foot forward, Amalia shoved the man away from him with a slash of her sword and he flipped backwards, lifting some of her force so he wouldn't hit the cliff again.

But Amalia was tired of this person. Whoever he was, she was sick of him following her and declaring that he deserved to fight her. Rushing towards the crazed man, Amalia struck one of her blades into the ground and screamed "Bolt!" She mentally thanked Gaia that Reno had also persuaded her to take a few of her black magic materia – all of which were Mastered.

A wave of electrical surges coursed through the ground, straight towards the man. But as it neared his feet, he jumped straight into the air avoiding the electrical strike. Amalia anticipated that he would evade her attack; kicking off her legs from the ground, she landed on the pommel of her blade and used all her might to launch herself into the air. Hurling straight towards airborne stranger, she thirsted her right arm towards him and screamed _Bolt_ once again, the crackling essence of the electrical power trickled through the air before it made a direct hit with the man. His eyes found hers the instant her attack landed and screamed bloody murder as waves of electrical madness consumed his body.

Growing numb by the second, the man slowly fell back towards the ground and Amalia took her last chance at proving that she was not one to be messed with when pissed off; but right now, she was beyond the 'pissed off' limits. He had cracked that lid yesterday morning and Amalia was now on a pursuit of teaching him a lesson. Pushing forward, she pulled her blade from behind her and screamed, thrusting the blade down towards the man, wanting to pierce him with all her might; and she succeeded. Her blade made contact with his skin since he was still under the effects of her powerful magic. Plunging her blade deeper into his shoulder, in exactly the same spot he had stuck her yesterday, she forced his body towards the ground and they fell together from the sky.

As they neared the ground, Amalia muttered her black magic spell once again and sent an electrical shot through her blade deep into the pits of the man who had, twice, attacked her and purposely tried to cause her harm. The man scream in agony and Amalia smiled a wicked grin; she knew she shouldn't, but something about this person scream _evil_, and she would do everything she possibly could to keep him away from her.

And away from Reno.

Amalia thrust her blade deeper into the man's flesh, ripping muscle, tearing his tendons and smashing his bones to pieces. What felt like hours passed in a matter of seconds, their bodies colliding with into the ground, cracking Gaia's surface while creating a bowl into the hardened dirt. As they collided together, Amalia immediately grabbed the hilt of her blade and flew backwards, pulling the sharpened steel with her, causing more damage to the crazed man. Standing some twenty feet away, Amalia's knees shook. It wasn't that her body was strained; there was something about this man that instantly sent a wave of fear coursing through her body. Whenever she looked at his body or his eyes, something spoke to her but she couldn't put her finger on it. That's why she wanted this man away from her; she wanted nothing to do with him and didn't want this crazed man to do anything to Reno.

She already feared that he would go after her red-head. Knowing the fact that the two were a couple, he could use it as his advantage – she wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"Y-you…have ch-changed much since yesterday, my sweet…"

"Fuck…won't you die already?" Amalia glanced at the man's staggered body as he struggled to even stand. His hand held his right shoulder as blood pooled through his fingers. Smiling inwardly, she felt a wave of victory knowing she had damaged him just as he did her yesterday.

"No I can't…die…not yet. T-there is still so much that needs to be done. Like this!" And he was gone.

Amalia blinked and he had disappeared into this air. Her eyes searched around her, Reno mentioning that he had done this yesterday, but something was off. She had a feeling that he wouldn't just leave like he did yesterday. But as her head turned back to where he originally stood, he was suddenly there, eye-level with her. His eyes reflected a familiar color and Amalia could feel her mouth drop slightly. "Y-you're…SOLDIER?"

"I was. But I've got a better job to do now, my sweet." Reaching forward, quicker than Amalia could anticipate, he grabbed her wrist as he twisted his body around and twirled her above his head.

"_Ashe_!"

She could hear her brother's voice off in the distance but, for some reason, she couldn't say anything; it was as if his body silenced her voice. Within a moment's time, he pulled on her wrist, hard, and severed her bone right out of the socket as she screamed to the heavens. Happy with the damage he had done, the man threw his victim off into the distance and she flew with such speed that Amalia had to close her eyes. She could sense when she was about to crash into the ground, but that moment never came.

Instead, as she gained the courage to open her eyes again, Amalia noticed that Cloud had abandoned his post on _Fenrir_ and came to her aid when she truly needed it. His strong arms wrapped around her gently, careful to avoid her dislocated shoulder as he set her on the ground. His eyebrows were knitted together and his eyes were glowing; not a good sign if you were the opponent facing Cloud Strife; he became the most deadly when someone pissed him off.

When someone had injured someone who deeply cared for.

Like his twin sister.

Pulling the blades from the casing on his back, Cloud said in a low and dangerous voice, "Leave. Get the hell away from here."

"Ah, the elder Strife steps in. What? Do you consider your little sister weak enough that she cannot even defend herself?"

"No, my sister is the deadliest creature on this planet you will ever meet."

"I would agree."

"Then why do you call her weak?"

"She isn't quite there, she still needs more anger."

Cloud had no idea what this man was talking about but he pointed his sword and directed it towards his heart. "I'll say this again: _leave_. I don't know who the hell you are but you've done enough. Leave my sister alone and we won't have a future problem."

The man only smirked as he vanished without a trace, he eyes never once leaving Amalia's, even as he disappeared into nothingness.

Cloud immediately turned his attention back to his sister and knelt by her side. He looked at her shoulder then at her face, knowing that she was in pain, but she held it beneath her façade. "Hey, are you ok?" _That's a stupid question, Cloud…_he thought to himself. But she shook her head, telling him more than enough that he needed to do something. "Ok, this isn't going to be fun and you might hate me but…we need to put your shoulder back in its place."

"Right now?"

"It'll hurt later if we wait, Ashe, you know that."

"Fuck…" A tear escaped her eye, the pain growing by the second, knowing she couldn't cure it until it was back in its socket. "Alright…do it," she said after a few moments of hesitation.

"Alright." Cloud took off his shoe and helped Amalia to lay down onto her back. Grabbing her hand, he held it tightly and placed his foot against the side of her body so his toes were beneath her arm. "Ready? I'm just going to pull." She weakly nodded and closed her eyes. Blinking a few times and tightening the grip on his twin's hand, Cloud pulled as hard as he could, and after a few seconds, he her a _SNAP_ as her shoulder snapped back into place. Amalia arched her back and let loose a blood curling scream that would have killed anyone on the spot if there were people around them. Her hand instantly shot towards her should as she cradled her pain-wrenched body. Tears were streaming down her face and it pained Cloud having to see his sister in such pain. On his knees, Cloud brushed away the tears, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Picking her up, without having her shoulder hit his chest; he walked back towards the bike and sat Amalia against hers so she could have something holding herself up. Cloud took a spot against his bike and he could hear the breathing of his twin gradually slowly down at a pace where her tears finally ceased to fall.

"Thank you, Cloud." Her voice was strained, yet she still managed to talk despite the pain.

"Hey," he turned towards her. "You're my sister. It's my job." Amalia stifled a laugh but then immediately regretted it. The pain was still bad and she wanted to wait a few seconds before deciding to use her Cure materia.

Silence crept between the two siblings as one watched the sun move across the sky while the other continuously glanced at his sister. Eventually, Cloud broke the silence and finally asked, "So, should I be questioning what just happened?"

"Heh, your guess is as good as mine." She groaned and quickly shifted her position against the bike, finding a better location for her arm. "I went for another run yesterday and he came out of nowhere and attacked me. Said something about wanting to fight one of the 'heroes who had saved the planet'."

"So then why'd he come back today?"

Amalia wanted to shrug her shoulders but opted not too she was already in enough pain and didn't want to add another wave of torture. "Dunno. Guy's a creep?"

Looking over at his sister, Cloud said, "Ok, I'll let this go."

"Thanks," was her reply.

"So…" Amalia glanced at her twin, wondering what he was thinking, but the moment their eyes locked, she knew that he _knew_. "You and Reno, huh?"

Although she _knew_ that he brother _knew_ what was going on, her eyes still slightly widened but then she looked away, a smile forming on her lips against her will. She softly giggled this time, instead of laughing, and was rewarding with barely any pain. "You've known all along, haven't you?" She looked back at her brother who only smirked.

"For a while, yes.

"How long?"

"Since Sephiroth came back, almost two years. But you two have been together for longer, haven't you?"

She nodded. "It's been about four years."

Cloud whistled. "Damn, Ashe. That long?" She nodded again. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I…I honestly don't know. Part of me thought that it didn't matter since it was my life but at the same time…I kept telling myself that you or the rest of the group would hate me if you knew. But the longer we were together, the more I didn't care. If you or someone else found out, oh well." Turning her head, she looked long and hard at her brother. "Cloud, I…I love that man. I know it might be hard for you to hear, considering whom Reno is and the history we've had with him and the people he's associated with, but I love him with all my heart. I couldn't ask for a better man."

Cloud sighed. Deep down, he had accepted his sister's choice, but actually hearing her admitting their relationship was different than he what he expected. He felt slightly angry, but he was happy for his sister nonetheless. "Does he treat you right?" Cloud blurted without really thinking of what he said.

She gave him a loving smile. "He treats me like an angel."

Cloud exhaled a deep breath, unaware he had held it within his lungs until they burned when he inhaled fresh air. "Good, that's what I wanted to hear. Look, Ashe," he took his sister's hand into his own and glanced at the difference in size; brother and sister, male and female, the Strife siblings. "I'll admit, this still makes me feel uncomfortable that you've got connections with the Turks and Shinra. However, I can tell he makes you happy so I'm willing to push aside my feelings for your happiness."

Amalia smiled again, the corners reaching her eyes and she could feel the muscles stretching in her cheeks. "You mean it, Cloud?"

"I do, I just want you to be happy."

"I am…I am so unbelievably happy with him."

"Good. But I've got another question for you. Has he ever…well, you know…"

She looked at her brother again, confused at what he was asking. "Has he ever what?"

"Has he ever…hurt you, in _that_ way?"

"That way…? Oh! Cloud!"

"Hey! I'm you're older brother, I have the right to ask these things!"

"You're only seven minutes older than me!" 

"That's still seven minutes I have over you, younger sister!"

"We are not having this conversation! It's not like I up and ask whether you and Tifa are having sex." Cloud turned his head slightly and Amalia could see a small form of red glow on her brother's cheeks. The reality hit her instantly. "No way! You've already…?!"

"Ashe we've been together for almost two years!" It was Amalia's turn to look away and Cloud noticed her sudden demeanor. "Wait…" Now it was his turn to read his sister's bodily language. "Don't tell me…you and Reno…haven't had sex yet?"

"This is such an awkward conversation to have with my twin."

"Amalia…"

"No." She glared at her brother. "We haven't ok? Yes, I get it, we've been together for four years but still nothing. Go ahead, laugh away."

"Ashe, I'm not going to laugh at you. I just…well we all heard the stories of Reno being a womanizer! He always had a woman hanging off his arm, every single night and…" He noticed that Amalia tightly hugged her non-injured arm around her body, a self-defensive move she'd always had since they were children. "Ashe…it that stopping you? Knowing who Reno was before you started going out?" She slowly nodded. "Oh Ashe…"

"Reno knows. We finally had this conversation a few nights ago."

"But does he know the whole truth?" Amalia whipped her head around, Cloud's eyes staring intently at his little sister. "I know there's something you're not telling him, something that scares you more than admitting about his past self with women."

She sighed. "Well, I…"

She grew quiet once again and turned her head the other way; she knew what she had wanted to say for so long, but the words wouldn't come. Those words that needed to be spoken probably wouldn't be heard until they were spoken in front of Reno – even Amalia had never even spoken them out loud before. "Ashe, listen to me. You'll feel better if you tell him. Trust me, keeping your feelings locked up inside of you is not a good thing. He needs to know how you're feeling about this. And besides, don't you want to have some _fun_ with him?"

"I…I do. I've been wanting to for so long. Everything he does just makes me want him more and – hey!" She quickly shook her head from side to side. "Why the hell am I talking about this with my brother!"

"Who else are you going to talk to about this?" _Damn, he has a point_, Amalia thought. Cloud's eyes softened when he said, "Hey, I've been in your position."

For some reason, just hearing those words eased Amalia's shoulders and she was able to finally relax since they left Kalm. "Really? How so?"

"I was apprehensive to become physical with Tifa. I dunno, for some reason…it scared me. I guess I wasn't prepared for it."

"So what happened?"

"We _talked_. I told her everything that was going through my mind, and you wanna know what happened next?" His twin nodded. "We had sex. That very night I opened up to her. And you wanna know something else? It was _fucking amazing_. It felt so damn good to let it out and to finally be intimate with her."

"Whoa…" was all Amalia could muster to say.

"Just think about it, Ashe. You're old enough now to make your own decisions and know that sex isn't everything. But you'd be missing something special to share with Reno." Cloud shuttered at the thought and cringed. Amalia laughed and Cloud said, "Oh, you think its awkward having this conversation? I feel dirty just by saying what I said about Reno."

_Oh man…Cloud's serious. He's had the same problem I basically have. But he's right…there's more to how I'm feeling than what I told Reno the other night. He deserves the truth and I…I need to trust him. Sex doesn't really scare me, it's…_

"Oh! I just remembered. Reno wanted you to call him if we ran into trouble."

"Did he know something was going to happen?"

"No," _At least I don't think so_. "He's just a little paranoid after what happened yesterday. I wasn't kidding when I said that man almost killed me."

"Motherfucker…" Cloud whispered.

Pulling out her cell phone, Amalia handed it to her brother who took it and found Reno's number within her contacts list. As he dialed his number, Amalia called upon the magic's of her Mastered Cure materia and set to work easing the pain within her shoulder. Her hand glowed green as she placed the hand tenderly on her throbbing shoulder. The pain had died down slightly, but with the Cure, Amalia could immediately feel a difference and she gave a relaxed sigh. Cloud held the phone to his ear, the device continually ringing before Reno had finally answered it.

"_Hey Ashe, you done with the delivery in Kalm?"_

Though she was not the one to hold the phone, she could hear her red-haired lover's frantic voice over the phone. Cloud had to pull the phone away from his ear and shake his head. After a moment, Cloud returned the device to his ear and replied, "This isn't Ashe, Reno."

"_Cloud? What's wrong with Ashe?!"_

~ oOo ~

Reno and Rude exited the chopper as its blade gradually ceased from their original speed. The ride had roughly taken them about twenty minutes to reach Healen once they left the apartment in Edge and Reno had fidgeted the entire time; he couldn't focus on the flight. Rude had to talk to him the entire flight in order to calm his partner down. Rufus hadn't gone into detail when he had called the Turk earlier that morning and Reno didn't know what to expect; Rude wouldn't tell him anything either, other than Rufus would speak with them, leaving Reno's thoughts to run amuck on their own.

Leaving the chopper on the roof, the Turk partners took the stairs down into the building as they made their way into the main room their boss used as his office towards the back end of Healen where they were greeted by Rufus and Tseng, who were deep in conversation but quieted down when they heard the others enter. Looking up from his desk, Rufus didn't smile as his eyes found Reno's. "I'm sorry to interrupt your time off, Reno, but this just couldn't wait."

"This is in regards to Ashe?"

"Sadly, yes."

Reno sighed. Rufus had said the same thing over the phone but he still wasn't happy. He didn't want to know that they were still receiving information from an unknown sender about his girlfriend. It seemed too coincidental that she had been attacked yesterday then he received a call from work saying he had to come in. _Something's not quite right…_

"Reno, you called and explained that Amalia was attacked yesterday. I was hoping this wouldn't happen but..."

"Rufus please don't sugarcoat this. Why the hell am I here?"

His boss released a withheld sigh and Tseng took over as his voice echoed through the room. "We received another video from whoever is after Amalia. But the video is specifically about the occurrence from yesterday."

"W-what?!" Reno couldn't think of what to say. _Those fucking bastards! What is their fucking plan?_ "Have any of you watched it?"

"No," Rude popped into the conversation. "We were waiting for you."

"Then how do we know that it's about her fight with this stranger?"

"The subject of the email said so."" Glancing over at his computer, Rufus read aloud the title of the email they had received. "It says: _Losing Battle of the Hero - You Claim She's Strong_."

Reno growled, a deep humming vibrated within his throat and he punched his hand into the wall behind him, leaving a mark in the white plaster. "What the fuck is their plan?! Why the hell are they doing this to her?!"

"Reno..." Rufus rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing what to say - none of them knew. Amalia had become very important to all the Turks; she had somehow crept into all of their hearts and left a mark that would never go away. And knowing that someone was out to get someone as precious as the female Strife sibling was killing all of them on the inside - but Rufus couldn't even begin to fathom the emotions coursing through Reno, both at this moment and throughout the last few months. Turning the computer around so everyone could see, he moved the mouse over the play button but glanced over at the red-haired Turk. "Are you ready to see this?"

He shook his head, anger flooding his veins, but he had no choice. "Just play it before I smash the damn thing." His boss nodded and pressed play. The Turks moved closer to have a better view of the computer screen; Rude immediately placed a soothing hand on his partner's shoulder for support.

The video began and at first there was nothing but a black screen, but a few minutes into the footage a bright light coursed across the screen, brightening the room enough for the four males to see the bare room the camera was pointing towards, save for a chair which sat directly in the middle of the room. The footage remained the same for a few moments when the first voice could be heard and Reno physically cringed.

**"I hope all of you at Shinra are viewing this, if you are, I hope you realize you are in deep shit."**

_That fucker! It's him!_ Reno could recognize that voice anywhere; it was the same voice from all the videos they had received over the last few months and by simply hearing it, Reno wanted to murder the stranger. The man without a name appeared in view, merging from the left and made his way towards the chair, just as he did in every single video he had sent them. The camera angle was always lowered so when he sat in the chair, his face could not be seen, therefore, keeping his identity a secret from the Shinra employees.

The man took a seat and immediately crossed one leg over the other, his hands cradled gently in his lap. **"All of you dogs who work at Shinra are bullshit liars. Every single one of you has claimed that Amalia Strife is the single most deadly woman in the world, renowned for her skill with Materia and her dual swords."** The man clicked his tongue, a suggestion to the viewers of his annoyance. **"I am indeed disappointed. I had sent one of my personal servants to seek out Amalia and test her skills, but it pains me to say that my servant claims she is weak. And from the report I was given, I must agree with all that I've been told."**

Reno growled again, he couldn't stand there and hear this man talk about his Ashe that way; he had to hear enough of it yesterday from the so-called "servant" who attacked her.

**"I find this unacceptable. I have heard countless rumors of her inhuman strength, results of her time spent in mako and her SOLDIER training, or so she claims, along with her brother. This just will not do...not by my standards." **The man leaned forward and rested the length of his arms on his knees, the lower edge of his face came into view and Reno silently prayed to Gaia that they would be able to see his face so they could track him.

**"From what I've heard, Amalia has become quite attached to a certain red-haired Turk."** The man chuckled, as if he had relayed a joke, something only he could understand. **"Reno, I hope you're listening to this. If you are - be on your guard. I will not stop until she is in my clutches. The Hero of this planet must be stronger, and in order for that to happen…"** Reno stared at the video and watched as the camera spanned up where more of the stranger's face was revealed, only up until his nose, nothing more could be seen. His straight lined mouth turned upwards as a smile graced his face as he said, **"We'll just have to attack her more."**

"NO!" Reno yelled towards the screen as his body lurched forward, only being held back by both Rude and Tseng, a secured hand on each shoulder. The man laughed again, this time, it was a deep, menacing laugh that echoed across the bare room and sent a dangerous chill across all the men within Healen.

**"That's right, Reno, I know you're upset. That just means you better keep an eye out for your little girlfriend. You don't know what we've got planned - the dangers that await her. So what're you going to do about it?"** The man stood from the chair and walked towards where the camera stood, but stopped when he was a few steps away. **"Ah, that reminds me, Reno...do you know where Amalia is at this exact moment? How do you know I haven't sent someone after her as we speak?"** The man laughed once again, the sound leaving a stained mark inside Reno's brain as he processed what he had just been told. **"Take care of her, Reno, because if you don't...I will."** With that, the video went black as the man's face was cut from view as the screen went blank and the video link disappeared back to its normal size.

Reno's shoulders slumped and both Tseng and Rude let their hands fall from their places. His eyes wouldn't watch anything else; both cerulean orbs stayed glued to the computer screen. His brain was confused with all the new information he just gained, but at the same time, it felt as if he hadn't learned anything at all. Whoever this man was knew what he was doing and knew how to creep under the skin of both his prey and the people that were important to her Amalia – he knew how to psychologically mess with people's heads.

But Rufus' voice brought Reno back to reality when he repeated his name several times. "Listen, Reno, I know that must've been hard for you to hear but - "

"Hard to hear…hard to hear?! Do you have any _idea_ what this is doing to me, Rufus?!" Reno turned back to the wall and threw all his might into another punch, landing where it had hit it earlier; the force vibrated the entire building and instantly silenced everyone in the room. His entire body was shaking and Reno could feel the pain in his throat as tears threaten to fall down his dry cheeks - but he wouldn't allow it, he'd never allow such emotion to show in front of his teammates. He whispered, "You have no idea what it's been like. Knowing that someone else is out there searching for your significant other, wanting to hurt them, knowing they want to use her for their evil plan that we know nothing about…it's fucking killing me, Rufus!" He turned back towards his boss. "And because you don't want me to, I can't even explain to the woman I love that someone is out there to get her! Oh, and better yet, we don't even fucking know why!"

"Reno!" He turned towards his boss. "You cannot lose your cool right now. We, and especially Amalia, need you to remain level-headed so we can gather more information."

"Information to do what, sir?!"

"That's the thing, Reno, I don't even know." Rufus was growing aggravated with each passing second. Just like his fellow Turk, he was disturbed by the video and didn't even know what to think of it. "Would you rather sit in my chair and make the decision?"

The red-haired sighed. "I wouldn't even know what decisions to make, sir…"

"Then how do you think I feel about his, Reno? I'm having a hard time myself to figure out what to do. That video disturbed me, as well as Tseng and Rude. But based off of what I have seen and what has happened so far, it would seem that this man is one step ahead of us, wouldn't you agree?"

"It would seem like that, yes," Tseng said, stepping forward. "It's almost as if he has everything planned out before he executes his actions and that he has our reactions included in what he wants to happen."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Reno said. "That we're falling into a trap that's already been set up and there's nothing we can do about out."

Rufus held his face in his hands and rubbed his temples. "Ok, I think this is what we'll do - " The phone within his pocket began to vibrate and Reno's eyes widened. He quickly grabbed the contraption from his front pocket and glared at the screen.

_Ashe._

"Reno, what's wrong?"

"Sir, its Ashe. I really need to take this call!" Rufus nodded his head in agreement, knowing that, at this point, anytime Amalia called Reno he should indefinitely answer, whether it was an emergency or not - she needed his undivided attention until they could get to the bottom of this mystery.

Flipping the phone open, Reno was about to scream into the tiny device, his previous emotions from watching the video still fresh in his mind but he bit his tongue before any words could escape from his mouth. Instead, he answered the phone, his fingers slightly shaking as he held the device. Taking a deep breath to try and calm his nerves he said, "Hey Ashe, you done with the delivery in Kalm?" Reno tried to keep his voice sounding calm, but his heart was in his throat and he wasn't able to take in a steady breath.

_"This isn't Ashe, Reno."_

~ oOo ~

_"Cloud?! What's wrong with Ashe?"_

"Reno, something happened with Ashe, and I don't think you're going to like it."

_"Dammit, Cloud, just get to the point!"_

Cloud took a deep breath and glanced at his sister who was currently in the midst of healing her dislocated shoulder. Her hand blazed a vibrant green as she moved her appendages around her shoulder, the muscles in her face gradually began to relax as the tension was released; he was glad to see that she was beginning to look the way she did before the random attack. Turning back to the phone, Cloud replied, "We were attacked about ten minutes after leaving Kalm to head back to Edge." Reno was about to interrupt Cloud but the blonde cut the red-head off before he could utter a syllable. "Hey, before you go on a rant about this just listen to me: Ashe is perfectly fine. This stranger randomly appeared out of nowhere, practically demanded another fight from Ashe and she basically kicked his ass before he dislocated her shoulder - "

_"He did WHAT?!"_

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Cloud looked at his twin who was giggling softly. "Is he always like this?" He whispered to her.

"Only with me," was her reply.

_"Cloud, other than her shoulder, is she ok?"_

"Trust me, Reno, she is perfectly fine. I intervened before he could do anything else to her and then he just vanished." He could hear the red-head sigh on the other end. "Reno, is there something going on that you're not telling me?"

Reno sighed again; he didn't want to lie, but he had no choice. _"No. It's just, after this stranger attacked her yesterday I'm kinda leery about her going out without me, especially since I was called into work today."_

"But it was a simple fight, wasn't it?"

_"She almost died."_

"She told me the same thing," Cloud said, as he stole a peek at his sister, who was still cautiously hovering over her arm with a Cure spell.

_"Cloud…can I speak with her?"_

He mumbled a reply then turned to Amalia. "He wants to talk to you."

Releasing the Materia energy she held in her hand, she grabbed the phone and held it against her ear. "Hi Reno."

_"Oh Ashe...it's so good to hear your voice. I heard about your shoulder. Baby, are you alright? Do I need to bring anything home for you later?"_

She shook her head then thought it was silly since he couldn't see her. "No, I'll be ok. Cloud placed my shoulder back into place and I've been healing myself for a while now, so I'm practically better than what it was. I think I just need a few more minutes and I'll be good as new!" She graced her face with a smile and Cloud glanced at his sister, knowing she was trying to ensure that Reno would feel better about the whole ordeal.

_"Are you sure?"_

"Trust me babe, I'll be fine." She could hear Reno release a hefty sigh and her smile instantly disappeared. "What's wrong, Reno? It was the same stupid person from yesterday, I don't think there's anything we need to fear. Besides - it doesn't take that much to heal me anyways!" She giggled and Reno inwardly sighed. _Oh Ashe...if you only knew that these attacks aren't just flukes. _

_"I know it's just...it was one attack, but it was one attack too many for me. I don't ever want to see you in the condition you were yesterday; it scared the living hell outa me, yo. And knowing you were attacked again today with me not being there...I just worry about you, babe."_

"You don't need to be so scared."

_"Try being in my shoes if our places were swapped."_

Amalia thought for a moment and her features softened. "Touché." Now it was her turn to take a deep breath and release it. "Listen, we'll talk about this later, ok?"

_"Ok. Are you two coming straight home?"_

She looked over at her brother who nodded. "Yeah. We'll probably rest for a bit until my shoulder is perfectly fine then we'll head out."

_"Good. Listen, I want you to hang out with Cloud until I get back into town. I don't think there's much left for me to do here so I shouldn't be that long. I'll text you when I'm back at the apartment. Ok?"_

"I think I can manage that."

_"Promise?"_

She smiled. Sometimes Reno could be a little overprotective, but that characteristic simply reminded her of Cloud and she had to smile; it only increased the love she had for him. "I promise."

_"Good. Listen, I love you, Ashe, I don't want to lose you."_

Amalia felt her heart constrict by Reno's words. She had heard those three powerful words many times before, but hearing them after he had discovered she had been injured, they held a different ring to them. And Amalia secretly wished she would never hear those words repeated in that manner again. "I love you too."

_"I need to talk to Cloud again."_

"Sure, no problem. Here he is, ok? But you stay safe too whenever you go home."

_"No worries, yo."_

Handing the phone back to Cloud, her brother said, "What do you need?"

_"A favor."_

~ oOo ~

Cloud continued to sit next to his sister until she deemed that her arm was completely healed. Wanting to be sure, she allowed Cloud to pull and tug on her arm as hard as he could; since she didn't wince or have any pain, Cloud agreed that they could head back to Edge, while keeping the favor he promised Reno in the back of his head.

The drive back home didn't take that long, but to Amalia, it felt as if they had been driving for hours. The whole way back, Amalia's thoughts were elsewhere. At first she couldn't stop thinking about the stranger who attacked her. She was confused and wanted to know why he was only pinpointing his attacks on her. Granted, she didn't want any of her friends to be attacked like she had, but why only her? Not only that, but yesterday he said something about a "Master" and Amalia had no idea what that meant, the word continuously echoed throughout her thoughts. _Is he working for someone else who sent him as the lackey to fight me?_ Amalia's mentality ran amuck and she had a hard time steering the bike. A few times Cloud had to reduce his speed because his sister was gradually easing off of the gas and she was falling behind.

Thus the reason for Reno's favor.

_"Cloud, I need you to keep an eye on her. I get it, your siblings and you would do it regardless, but I need you to do this for me; especially when you get back into Edge. I told her to wait with you until I get back, but when she drives to my place, go with her, please? I wouldn't ask for a favor from you, Cloud, unless it was something important. But Ashe is important to me; I don't want to lose her."_

Reno's favor echoed in the depths of Cloud's mind and he couldn't help but experience an intense sensation coursing through his veins. It had been almost difficult for him to hear that there was another person who wanted to protect his sister just as badly as he did. Amalia was his twin, his younger sister and he had always taken care of her. She never needed it, she was too independent for her own good, but he always tried to make sure that he was within an arm's reach just in case she needed her brother. And now, knowing that Amalia had someone serious in her life, drove Cloud crazy. But as he glanced at his sister as they drove back to Edge, he couldn't help but smile. _I know my sister and I can feel the love she has for the Turk. I may not fully accept this, but I am truly happy for her. She finally deserves someone in her life that'll stay with her forever._ Cloud's smile widened even more. He was happy for his sister and that was enough for him to put up with the red-headed Turk - and everyone else that came along with him.

Looking ahead, Amalia could see the outskirts of Edge and she smiled on the inside. Whether Reno was back from Healen or not, she was excited of the prospect to go home._ Oh wait...I promised Reno I'd stay with Cloud until he was back from work. Damn... That's cool, I can pick up the blanket that I finished._

Thinking back earlier to the conversation she had with her brother, Amalia could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment. _Gosh, I can't believe I seriously had a sex conversation with Cloud about Reno. And then he was being serious when he was discussing his relationship with Tifa! But…_ Amalia took in a deep breath, her body slightly shaking. _What Cloud said is right. There is something deep within myself that I'm not telling Reno…but he deserves to know. I can't keep him hanging by a thread any longer. After hearing Cloud's confession about becoming intimate with Tifa and how it was spectacular has only made me want Reno more; I desperately want to know what that connection is like with my special person - with Reno. He means the world to me and he's always been truthful with me - so why can't I be truthful with him?_

Amalia pushed down on the gas and gunned it towards Edge. She lifted her head and wanted to ride towards the home she occasionally shared with Reno, instead, she steered the bike towards Seventh Heaven. Cloud could see the difference in his sister and chuckled. He stepped on the gas as well, following the other Strife back home. Their bikes sped on, leaving two trails of tire prints in the ground as dirt spiraled behind them, their speed grew to be faster than any monster as their need to go home was very strong. As they passed through the opening gate into the city, they slowed their speed, not wanting to injure any civilians, and within a few minutes, arrived back at the entrance to the bar. Turning their engines off, both siblings took off their different goggles and looked at each other. Cloud only nodded as he stood from his bike and walked it back towards the alley behind the bar where they stored their vehicles.

Amalia watched her brother disappear from view then looked down at her hands. Her thoughts this time immediately went to Reno; his face, his voice, his hair… She blushed, knowing that her mind was traveling elsewhere, but her imagination had to feel in the blanks. But she didn't care, she knew Reno was well built with strong muscles and chiseled abs. Her throat released a soft moan as her eyes closed; vividly trying to conjure a picture of her lover but all she could see was his face, which was just enough – for now. Her desire was becoming stronger each day, she knew that, but it was her fear that stopped her from pursuing the next step in her relationship with the Turk. But as she opened her eyes, she blinked and looked at the road that led to the back alley. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty and she could feel a tightness in between her legs. Amalia couldn't ignore the signs any longer.

_It's time. _

~ oOo ~

Reno stayed at Healen for another half-hour before Rufus decided that he could go home. The boss knew Reno was struggling, having a difficult time engaging in their discussion on what to do with this somewhat catastrophic mess, but the Shinra President had to give his red-headed Turk some credit, considering what he was going through.

After Reno had ended the call with Amalia, the four of them immediately began to discuss ideas of how they could protect Amalia while simultaneously figuring out the man behind this mystery. Between Rufus, Tseng, Reno and Rude, they were able to come up with plans that would work, but in the end, none of them could be called to action since they all required Amalia to know what was happening; and Rufus still wanted to keep her in the dark. In the end, the simplest plan was for Reno to have an "extended vacation" so he could watch over Amalia while Tseng and Rude could stay behind and see if they could trace the whereabouts of the estranged mastermind.

"Everyone feel good with the decisions we've made?" They all nodded. "Good. Tseng and Rude, remember, you're trying to discover where the video link was sent from and to see if we can identify in our database whose voice that belongs to. I have a feeling he probably had ties related to Shinra in the past, so if my guess is true, we should still have some information about him."

"Yes sir," they replied in unison.

Turning to Reno, Rufus asked, "You know what to do?"

"Make sure that she doesn't want to go anywhere far," Reno replied.

"Good. And try not to make it like you're watching her, even though, technically, you are watching her. Just make sure she doesn't find out."

"I know she'll ask, but how long is my 'extended vacation' supposed to last?"

"Tell her...tell I'm giving you three weeks."

"She'll know something's up."

"You think?" Tseng was the one to ask as he turned to his red-headed Second-in-Command.

"Oh yeah, she'll think something's fishy and ask me question after question trying to find the truth. Ashe is incredibly smart and can tell when something seems suspicious."

"That's what I'm scared about - her intelligence. That'll be our disadvantage against her but, Reno, you'll just have to get her to believe you. Tell her I feel really bad about what happened and I want the two of you to have some time together, especially since you just came home from a month long mission."

"I think that'll make it easier on her, yo."

"Good! Then I think we're done for now. Rude, you taking him home?" Rufus pointed to the red-head who couldn't help but smile - he was going back home. It had only been a couple hours but he needed to see his lover now.

Reno turned to his partner and Rude nodded, both exited down the hallway back to where the chopper laid waiting for them. Instead of Reno steering the machine, Rude took the pilot seat as his partner sat in the opposite chair, both placing the required headgear on and acknowledged the other when they were ready. Reno gave Rude a thumbs up while the sun-glassed man smirked and glided the chopper into the air. And before they knew it, they were gliding through the air, leaving Healen in the background as they soared away towards Edge.

Reno glanced out the window, his eyes occasionally looking at the ground, a small twinge of hope deep within his chest that he would see Amalia riding _Shiva_, secretly on her way to greet him at Healen, despite Reno telling her to stay with Cloud. _Oh Ashe... I cannot wait to see you. I need to hold you in my arms and know that you're not hurt. I can't stand what's going on. And I swear I will find out who is attacking you and they will regret ever messing with someone close to me. _

As Reno continued go glance out the window, Rude stole a glance of his own at his partner. He truly felt remorseful for Reno and Amalia; they certainly didn't deserve to go through this mess with this un-expectant stranger. Although he was one of the few people who knew of their relationship, Rude had watched his partner and Amalia grow close over the last four years. No one would have imagined the two of them coming together - Rude being one of those people - but they challenged the odds and have survived together in an amazing way. _I'm proud to say that these people in are in my life. And I'm with Rufus - I'll do everything in my power to ensure that these two are not separated. I have never seen man and a woman who deserve to be together as much as Reno and Amalia do. The love they hold is very rare; their soulmates…_ Rude wanted to chuckle but kept his melancholy exterior as to not disturb his partner. _I just hope that Reno took my hint of proposing to Amalia. It's about damn time he took the initiative. I have no idea what's stopping that man from settling down…_

"Rude?"

"Hn?"

"How much longer, do you think?"

"Uh…probably about a few more minutes buddy." Reno sighed. "I know, just hang on a little longer."

"I'm just getting antsy, yo."

"Just keep thinking of that extended vacation," Rude pointed out.

Reno finally turned away from the window to glance at his Turk partner. "An extended vacation as a cover-up so you and Tseng can track down who sent us the latest video." He sighed again. "Rude, this is driving me crazy. How am I to act calm around Amalia when I have all this information in my head about the people who are after her, and I can't tell her a damn thing?"

It was his partner's turn to sigh this time. "I honestly don't know, Reno. You have been extremely tough these last few months when all this shit started happening. Out of the people I know, you are the only one who can handle this. Just don't stress, as hard as that is, and just focus on being with Amalia and making her happy. If she's happy, you'll be happy. Right?"

A soft chuckle escaped Reno's lips; he was surprised at how much his partner would talk when the topic was centered around Amalia. "I know you're right, but it's still hard, yo."

"Well, you better turn that frown upside down, because we're back in Edge and about to land in a minute." Upon hearing this, Reno immediately pulled out his phone and began a message to Amalia stating that he was just landing and that she could head on over. In his mind, Reno thought back to what Rude said previously about keeping her happy and immediately he planned several activities they could do that would make her happy - but more importantly, he just wanted to make her smile. His phone vibrated within his hand and Reno looked down, knowing it was a reply from Amalia, her message saying: _I'll be there soon!_ Looking out the window, Reno counted the seconds until he saw her; for some reason, he had a particular feeling in his gut that hadn't let up since they left Healen.

But he felt that tonight was going to be special and he had no idea why.

~ oOo ~

_**So this is the longest chapter I have written so far, equaling over twelve thousand words! And again, I must apologize for the long wait. I have said in the last few chapters that school has kept me away from writing, but I've also been suffering from writer's block – probably because I've been writing so many essays for my classes. Only three more weeks and then summer break!**_

_**A fair warning: I won't be posting anything until mid-May for I am graduating and need these next few weeks to focus on my finals. I will, however, be working on my writing when I can so I'm not completely halting Becoming His Angel, I'm just letting all my readers know that I am specifically not posting anything for a reason. But once summer arrives, I "plan/hope" to post a chapter at least once a week. **_

_**Read, review, rate – please let me know what you think!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_**And I'm back! I thought I wouldn't be posting anything for a few more days but it looks like I even surprised myself!**_

_**Warning – and that's all I'm going to say if everyone remembers what I said in the first chapter. If you don't like it, then don't read it! Flames will be ignored since I have so graciously warned you **_**;)**

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

Glancing up at the apartment building before her, Amalia waved to Cloud one last time before he drove off on _Fenrir_ into the distance. He had kept true to his word with the red-headed Turk; once Amalia had received Reno's text, they immediately set off, with her brother trailing right alongside her as they guided each other back towards Reno's place. It had been a very long and strenuous day, and when Amalia woke up this morning, she didn't think that she would be attacked again, nor would have Cloud's assumptions about her relationship proven true and accurate. And, on top of it all, Cloud now knew where her lover lived as well. It shouldn't really bother her – and truly, it didn't – but Amalia contained a small thrill within herself knowing that the others still had no idea where she actually was when she stayed with Reno. But now the truth was finally revealed, even though Cloud was the only one who knew, and that fact made Amalia slightly sad.

But as she peered to the top of the building, knowing Reno was inside waiting for her, that sadness disappeared, and a raw, lustful power erupted deep within her soul.

The entire ride as they left Seventh Heaven, Amalia had to hide her face, the blush clearly evident on her skin that she had other things on her mind. But damn - she was actually proud about it. Putting her goggles away and swinging he leg over _Shiva_, Amalia gradually made her way into the building and patiently waited for the damn elevator. Although she wanted to run up the stairs, Amalia pulled back; she still needed to process what she was going to inevitably relay to Reno.

"It's time," she continued to tell herself, but that statement was a double-edged sword containing two separate meanings. It was time to finally tell Reno why she had been so hesitant throughout their relationship and it was finally time they consummated their relationship. With a _DING_ of the elevator bell, Amalia walked in, her cascade of blonde hair flowing behind her and she nervously pulled a lock of behind her ear. The thumping of her heart was echoing in her ears and she mentally cursed because she couldn't think. One by one the elevator rose in height and Amalia watched level indicator. Each level glowed briefly as the machine passed the specific floor before it finally dinged on her level - Reno's level.

Mentally and physically, Amalia sighed as her feet led her out of the elevator and straight towards the apartment door. Taking the chocobo key ring out of her pocket, she held the key she needed, but the nerves suddenly clenched her and she couldn't move. Blinking several times and drawing in a deep breath, she was finally able to thrust the key in the lock and open the door. Once fully open, Amalia didn't have to look very far, Reno had just emerged from the kitchen with an ice cold beer in his hand. Their eyes locked just as she shut the door and Amalia had the sudden urge to fly into Reno's arms and never leave.

But Reno probably had the same thoughts, because he took a few steps backward and set the bottle onto the kitchen counter, locking his eyes onto hers once more. Barely a whispered, he said, "Ashe." But that's what did it - the mere mention of her name forged from his lips had her bounding towards him. Arms locked around his neck, and his around her waist, the two stood, arms tightening, never wanting to let go. But Amalia swiftly pulled back and lunged at the red-head, her lips instantly locking with his. Reno took a sudden step back, not prepared for the onslaught of his lover's lips against his own; but he wasn't complaining as his back ran into the wall. Thrusting his hands into her hair, Reno pushed his own softened lips against hers, tenderly licking with his tongue, quietly begging for entrance into her mouth, which Amalia agreed to. She opened her mouth and they each devoured the other. Amalia leaned into Reno, her neck craned upwards, trying to reach his height. Noticing her difficulty, Reno let go of her hair and grabbed her hips, hauling Amalia up until she had to wrap her legs around his slender frame.

Not once did their lips let go. Reno continued to tightly hold her hips, assuring she stayed in the position while Amalia continued to probe her tongue into his mouth. Gradually, a moan leaked deep within his throat, urging Amalia to do the same. Except, hers was much louder and echoed throughout the room when she pulled back, desperately sucking in air for her burning lungs. Time was nonexistent, and the pair eventually pulled away at the same time. Uncurling her legs from his waist, Amalia slid off Reno and stood before him, her hands dropping towards the front of his shirt, clinging on for dear life. Looking up into his eyes, Amalia took a deep breath, the pools of aquamarine stared down into her own mismatched ones, creating a shiver that ran from her brain deep into her loins.

Reno's breath was slightly ragged and he swallowed several times before finally being able to say, "That was...some welcome home' kiss. We should do this more often." This made Amalia smile and Reno leaned down to peck a kiss on her swelling lips. But remembering what she needed to tell him, her smile faltered and dropped, causing Reno to place his hand against her cheek. "Hey," he tilted her head back up to look at him. "Everything ok?"

Sighing, Amalia shook her head. "Reno there's…there's something I need to tell you. Something I've been keeping from you and…it's about time you knew."

Widening his eyes, Reno wasn't sure what to expect, but gathering from the way she had just kissed him, he doubt it was anything _too_ drastic. "Well, ok, you wanna sit on the couch?"

She shook her head again. "No, I need to say it now; otherwise, I won't be able to say it again." Tilting her head downwards, she was afraid to look him in the eye, not knowing what he was going to say with her declaration of the truth.

"Hey, look at me." But she couldn't, so she closed her hers tightly, tilting her head farther downwards towards the ground. "No, Ashe, you need to look at me." Grabbing her chin, he pulled her face upwards; eyes still shut but at least she was in his direction. "Ashe, please, what were you going to tell me...?"

Slowly blinking her eyes, she breathed inwards, filling her lungs with fresh air before finally stuttering two words from her slightly open mouth. "I'm sorry."

Trailing her hair from her chin down to her shoulder, Reno wouldn't let go. Whatever it was that she had to tell him was taking a toll on her. He could feel her slightly trembling beneath him. That's not a good sign, he told himself. _This must really be important if she can barely speak_. But Reno had to be strong for her; mentally, he tried to prepare himself for whatever it was she wanted to say, but had no idea how to prepare since he didn't know what it was she wanted to desperately tell him. "What did I tell you about being sorry for how you feel?" As he spoke, his thumb softly rubbed against her velvety skin, soothing her fears, washing away her doubt. He knew this was effective; Amalia began to relax under his touch and he could visually see the tension being swept away from her facial expressions.

At last, she began to speak. "Y-you're right, Reno...Um, do you...remember the other night, when we had that talk about why w-we're not intimate?" He nodded, gazing straight into her beautiful discolored orbs, encouraging her that he was listening and to continue. "W-well, I-I...you see, there's s-something I've been keeping from you...that I wanted to tell you a few days ago but...opted not to..." Her voice trailed off.

"And what would that be, Ashe?"

Her eyes flickered downward quickly before glancing back up at his. "The real reason why I haven't pursued having sex with you."

Immediately Reno arched an eyebrow and asked, "So, what you told me the other day was a lie?" Secretly, Reno felt that he should be angered by her statement, but no anger coursed through his veins. All he felt was contempt knowing that Amalia was at least attempting to tell him the truth. And for the time being, that was enough for him.

"N-no! It wasn't a lie...more like I sugar-coated the truth. Reno, I-I'm more afraid of losing you once we become intimate because...because..." As if on cue, several salty tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and trailed down her sweet face. As quick as they came, Reno cupped her face and used his thumbs to wash away her pain. Inside, Reno was burning - he was mad at himself for causing her this pain. He knew that it was his actions in the past that caused Amalia to be scared of the present and he secretly wished he could undo all of his regrets. Every single woman he had been with was a mistake Reno wished had never happened; but because changing the past was impossible, Reno had to suffer with the consequences, of which being the torment that was placed upon his lover's shoulders. More tears fell, but he erased them before they had a chance to fall towards the ground. "I'm scared that I won't be good enough in bed and you'll leave me to find someone better…someone more experienced…" Amalia blurted, her words mumbled into one as her breath stated each word back-to-back.

_Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man, oh man… So that's truly why she's afraid. Ashe, she…she's scared I'll toss her aside because she thinks she won't be good enough? Wait…good enough…oh fuck, it's because she's a virgin…_ Reno couldn't look away from the most beautiful creature in all of Gaia, her head tilted back downwards, water flowing freely from her eyes now, glistening her cheeks as they finally fell upon the floor. _I knew she was a virgin, but I…I didn't think she'd consider that as her weakness._

"Amalia…" Knowing his voice wasn't reaching her, Reno crouched down until they were eye level, her mysteriously glowing orbs looked right into his; he smiled and she frowned; his eyes were dry while hers were stained. "You are the most amazing woman in the world, did you know that?" She immediately shook her head. _Good, then that means she hasn't completely blocked me _out. "You are. Ashe…you are beyond intelligent, your beauty doesn't even compare to that of others, you have the sweetness nature I have ever seen. You care so much about others and try to ensure their happiness over yours… Babe, I could go on and on about the amazing characteristics you hold, but the most important thing I want you to hear is…" He cupped her cheek, her tears ceasing to exist. Her eyes widened, wanting to know what he was about to say. "I love you and everything about you," he sealed his own declaration with a kiss. A gentle one at that, his lips moved softly against her stiff ones, but as the seconds ticked by, Amalia relaxed and leaned into Reno's touch. Hands that once stood lanky at her side were now wrapped in his shirt, fists desperately holding onto the fabric, encouraging him to be closer to her heated body.

Although the kiss held passion, it wasn't the same as the one earlier; this one was gentler. Whereas the other one knew that they wanted their partner, this one was encouraging, almost as if both were saying 'this is perfectly fine'. But Reno was the one who pulled back first and he straightened his body, eyes never leaving Amalia's glazed ones.

"So…you're not mad at me?" Amalia asked meekly.

"Babe, why would I be mad at you?"

"B-because of what I told you and - "

"Stop." Amalia quickly shut her mouth and began declining her head once more, but Reno's fingers caught her chin before she could stare at the floor again. "Stop looking away from me. Sweetheart, I'm not mad at you." His voice suddenly dropped. "How could I be? This is what you've been carrying on your shoulders for a long time and I…I'm just glad you were finally able to tell me."

"It was Cloud," she replied rather quickly.

"Cloud?" He cocked an eyebrow, confused as to how her twin brother could have helped in this situation.

Amalia nodded. "While we were waiting for my shoulder to heal, we talked about my relationship with you and, on his own, Cloud noted that I wasn't telling you the truth so he told me something personal about his relationship with Tifa. Hearing what he had to say made me feel…better about what I was feeling and I suddenly had the desire to tell you."

Leaning forward, Reno rubbed the tip of his nose against hers. A soft giggle escaped from her and it only made him smile. "Well I'm glad you feel better." He moved a few strands of hair behind her ear. "You do feel better, right?"

She nodded again. "I don't...feel so confused now. It's like…knowing that my brother had experienced a similar problem made me feel as if I could overcome what I was feeling as well. And because of that…" She quickly dropped her eyes, but not to the floor, and back up to Reno's face, an innocent blush spread across her perfect cheeks. "I now know what I want - what I've been wanting," she corrected herself.

Reno's eyes widened a fraction and he couldn't help but smile. Something told him he knew what she was speaking of, but he had to hear it for himself. "And what would that be, yo?"

"You," Amalia replied more quickly than she anticipated.

Drawing in a quick breath, Reno could practically feel the tightness in his pants growing - all from hear Amalia proclaim her need for him. "Y-you do? And you mean...what I think you're talking about?"

She leaned forward and arched on her tiptoes, pressing her lips gently against Reno's ear, each articulated word blowing a heated breathy gasp down his spine. "Why don't you take me upstairs and find out...?" Amalia was appalled at the sudden change in her demeanor. She had known for a long time that she desperately wanted this man, but could it really be that simple of wanting him even more just by telling the truth about her feelings? Amalia felt bold by stating what she told Reno, but as soon as the words left the confines of her mouth, not a single cell in her body regretted it. Deep down, she had always wanted to tell Reno such things, but never had the courage in fear of where it would lead. But no more! The only fear deep within the depths of her soul was knowing the pain of what was to come - but she would embrace it head on. With Reno, she kept telling herself that he wouldn't purposely hurt her, and with that knowledge locked away in her mind, Amalia wanted to take the next step. With every fiber in her being, she wanted to Reno and become one as a couple. Four years in the making led to this one night and she was going to cherish every second.

Gasping at her statement, Reno produced a deep growl within his throat, the lust he had tried to contain within himself spreading forth, ready to pleasure his lover until she continuously screamed his name. Bending down, Reno scooped Amalia into his arms, holding her bridal style, Amalia wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling uncontrollably. "You don't need to tell me twice, yo." Quickly and efficiently, Reno managed to turn off the few lights that had been on and made his way upstairs.

Bursting through the door to their bedroom, Reno walked towards the bed and gently laid Amalia down on the still unmade sheets. Kicking his shoes off first, Reno climbed over Amalia and noticed a fair sheet of red covering her face. One hand caressed her cheek while the other cradled her hips, wanting to keep her in place but also to show the affection she ultimately deserved. They stayed in that very position for several moments, Reno's fingers delicately messaging her skin, sending a shiver up Amalia's spine. _If he's touching me with my clothes on, dear god, I have no idea what it's going to feel like once they come off_. But hearing Reno's voice brought her awareness back to the current situation.

"Are you sure…?"

Reaching forward, Amalia pressed her lips against his with a chaste kiss, then just as quickly pulled back. "More than you'll ever know."

"Oh Ashe…you have no idea how long I've been wanting to hear you say that."

"I know…but it's better that I said it now then never, huh?" Leaning over her body, Reno balanced his elbows against the bed, the red main of hair falling across his shoulder and glazed across Amalia's cheek. The slight sensation had her eyes closed in an instant as a minuscule gasp left her mouth. Looking back up, she said, "I'm scared."

Running a hand through her own hair, Reno replied, "I know, but just know that I'm not intentionally hurting you, ok?" She nodded, which made Reno smile. His lips came into contact his her swollen ones, but they didn't linger there. Drafting a trail from her mouth and down her chin, Reno settled on her neck, scavenging for her sensitive spot, which lay at the space right beneath her neck. Thrashing her body against his, Amalia squirmed, unexperienced sensations raced throughout her body, not sure what to do or where to move her tangled limbs. But as her body moved more, so did Reno's tongue. Gliding the muscle across her flushed skin, Reno nipped with teeth, sucked with lips and caused the beautiful girl beneath him to moan with an intense ecstasy neither had heard before.

Upon hearing her cries of pleasure, Reno dared and placed a hand towards the hem of her shirt, snaking his way upward. The tautness of her hard, soft flesh egged Reno on and he continued to move his hand upwards. The tips of his fingers brushed the framework of her lace bra, but Amalia un-expectantly pushed his hand away. Feeling that she wasn't going to be able to go through with it, Reno leaned back, only for Amalia to follow. Stretching her back just enough until she was off the bed, she reached down, grabbed the bottom of her shirt, and tugged it straight over her shoulders, tossing aside, not caring where the damn thing landed. Flopping back onto the bed, Reno was pulled by his curiosity back to his original position until he loomed over his lover. Trying to keep his gaze on her eyes, Reno failed, and immediately looked downwards, the beautiful mounds of her breasts before him begging to be touched. Gingerly, his lips trailed from her neck down to the crevice between each breast. Kissing the silky smooth skin, he placed a finger into one of her bra cups and pulled it down, the flesh popping from its confines and burst forth, proud and strong.

Lust and passion clouded Reno's vision, his glistening mouth ravaging the taught nipple and sucked it into his mouth. "Ahh!" Amalia arched her back pushing the hardened nub of flesh deeper into Reno's moistened cavern. This caused the red-head to moan and suck harder. Amalia cried out, never before knowing what these sensations were like, she wasn't aware of what to do. Throwing her arms behind her head, she held the pillow in place as Reno explored her vast, undiscovered territory. But just as soon as his voyage began, Reno let go off one nipple, only to move across her chest and claim the flesh as he also pulled it from its confines within the material of her bra. But as his lips gathered the second nipple in his mouth, a hand snaked across her chest to grab the slick nub he just deserted between his fingers. Pulling slightly caused the girl beneath him to gasp uncontrollably, her body writhing in both pain mixed with an intense pleasure she had never known before. And before he knew it, she was calling his name ever so softly.

"Reno…"

Allowing his lips to leave the precious mound of flesh he had finally been granted access to, the red-head looked up. With half-covered, glaze ridden eyes, Amalia was a heap of pleasure. Her cheeks grew redder as their stare prolonged what she wanted to say. "Yes, Ashe?" Turning her head into the pillow she closed her eyes, embarrassment suddenly plaguing her mind and she couldn't believe what she was doing with Reno. But her attempt to hide failed as Reno pulled her head into his hands and plunged his tongue into her mouth. Accepting the slick muscle, she wrapped her arms around his neck and succumbed to his passionate kiss. The heat that filled her cheeks increased tenfold and was sent down into her nether regions, a tingling sensation sparked fire in her loins as she unconsciously ground her hips into her lover, causing the red-head's eyes to widen as he pulled away.

"Mmmm, feisty, aren't we?" Amalia simply shook her head and tried to turn away, but Reno still held her face and she was forced to look up at him. "Why do you turn away...?"

"I...don't know what to do..." Her cheeks grew redder, the embarrassment she held growing by the second.

But Reno simply chuckled. "Isn't that the beauty of it?" She arched an eyebrow at his statement. He kissed her ear and traveled downward until he was near one of her nipples again. "We get to love each other's body and discover what the other loves," he slowly ran his tongue across the hardened flesh, causing Amalia to squirm across the bedsheets. "And what the other prefers," Reno pulled the nipple into his mouth again and sucked as hard he could. The blonde arched her back and, to both of their astonishment, placed a hand behind Reno's head and held him in place. But just as she began to hold his head in place, Reno pulled back and yanked his work shirt over his head and flung it behind him. He watched as Amalia's eyes widened slightly, moving across his chest, down to his chiseled abs before falling upon the hem of his black trousers. He could tell what she wanted. "You want these off?" She could only nod, but Reno shook his head in defiance. "Not until we remove some of your clothing, my dear." Working quickly, Reno's nimble fingers popped the button on her shorts and pulled the zipper down. Meeting his hands partway, Amalia grabbed the sides of her hips and dragged them down when Reno grabbed them at her ankles and dropped them beside the bed. Laying before him in only her matching black lace bra and undies, Amalia felt nervous. But as she looked upon the man who claimed his love for her, the embarrassment gradually ceased and she grew comfortable knowing she was practically naked in front of this man.

"Oh Ashe you..." Reno gulped, the words suddenly lost in his throat. If Reno was destined to sleep with all those other women in order to have this one goddess lay before him, then so be it. _She's worth it all and deserves everything I can give _her. Cradling her hips, his hands traveled across the length of her body, beginning near her collarbone and stopping just above her underwear line. The longer his touched crossed her skin, the more Amalia wanted to feel his body against hers. With a sudden burst of courage, her hands reached for the button on his pants, her eyes seeking his permission before doing anything, but Reno could tell what she was thinking. "You don't ever need my permission, babe. Do what you want to do." And with that, she popped his button and in less than a second, his trousers had been discarded as well.

Sitting forward, she pressed her chest against his and grabbed his hands, landing them on her back. "Please take it off…" she whispered.

"Yes ma'am!" Grabbing her bra hooks, Reno, with is master hands, had the blasted contraption loosened and threw it away. He could hear Amalia sighed as her breasts were finally freed. She fell back against the bed and giggled. But she wasn't done; she grabbed his muscular hands once more, this time, placing them on her hips. She cocked her head to the side and glanced at Reno through glazed eyes. "These too…?"

He growled, loud and proud. "Damn Ashe, we're not gonna even do anything before you give me the greatest pleasure ever." But he followed her command, this time, pulling the material slowly off her hips, down her slender legs and off her body. Once she was completely free of her clothing, Reno stop and stared. All the nights imaging what her naked body would be like didn't even compare to what he was seeing before him right now. "Amalia…you are…so incredibly stunning."

Her blush returned. "Really...?"

"Yes, really." He leaned over and kissed the taut of her muscled stomach, a free hand wildly roaming her side and down her hips to her thighs. Several gasps escaped Amalia's lips, the tingling sensation escaladed in-between her thighs and she remembered the one fantasy she wanted to fulfil – right now.

"Reno…?" She asked, her voice raspy with pleasure.

Without looking up, Reno said, "Yes, my love?"

"I…w-well, there's something I'd l-like for you to do for…do to me…"

Reno's ears instantly perked. "And what would that be?" She remained silent, contemplating how to ask for what she desired. "You need to tell me what you want," he said, all the while placing feather-like kisses across her chest, avoiding her breasts on purpose. Amalia mumbled a few words, but managed to point a finger down to her feminine area, hoping the hint would count for her lack of words. Following her finger, Reno gazed upon the blonde mixed with brown curls of her pubic hair and smiled. He knew what she was asking, but he wanted – needed – to hear her say those sacred words. "What about it, Ashe...?"

Taking a deep breath into her lungs, she said, "I want to feel your tongue down there, please!"

_Holy fucking shit! That's __**NOT**__ what I thought she was going to ask me but fuck yeah! _"Oh babe…Gladly, anything for you, Ashe." Leaning down, Reno molded his lips once more into hers, 1his hand gliding down her body until he met said curls. Snaking his fingers inward, Reno barely reached inside before he felt the intense heat of her arousal. Moaning into her lips, the red-head flicked her sensitive nub with his finger, Amalia instantly groaning as their kiss deepened. She tried to pull away but she couldn't stop kissing her lover. Reno's fingers continued to rub her clitoris, sending multitudes of pleasurable waves across her lower abdomen. Finally pulling away, Amalia arched her back, wanting more, needing more.

"Oh god, Reno!"

She was slick, wet enough that as he moved his fingers downwards, he had no difficulty gently inserting the index finger inside of her. Not expecting the sudden penetration, Amalia's eyes widened, heat bursting throughout her body. She moaned, the glorious sounds not once ceasing to stop from pouring out of her mouth. "You like this?" Reno asked as he pumped his slick finger inside of her; in and out, back and forth. But the blonde was unable to provide a vocal answer, she didn't need to, Reno could tell exactly what she wanted to say. With her eyes closed in concentration, Reno moved down the bed, his hands separating her legs and creating a space wide enough to fit his head. Just as his fingers began to open her slick lips, Amalia looked down as Reno lightly caressed his tongue across her sensitive clit. Screaming to the heavens, Amalia clutched the sheets beneath her, her breathing becoming labored as Reno set to giving her the greatest pleasure she had ever experienced.

A few minutes passed and Reno kept the same pace, softly gliding his tongue over her slickness. As the more Reno licked, the more Amalia gasped and moaned for the world to hear. The muscles deep within her thighs tightened and Amalia wanted to move said limbs but Reno, always knowing what his lover wanted, grasped her thighs and held her down, his tongue moving faster, probing her clitoris to finally reach a pleasurable level. Gasping again, Amalia yelled, "Reno! F-faster!"

Obeying her command, the red-head quickened his pace yet again, several times changing the angel of his tongue, causing different reactions from the blonde until he found one in particular she went crazy for. Pausing, he allowed Amalia's breathing to calm down, and once she could breathe somewhat regularly, Reno extended his tongue and glided the entire flat surface over her nub, in which Amalia arched her back, wanting more, needed the release that screamed within her body. "Reno! Right there!" But he didn't need more time. With a few more licks, a gush of warm liquid placated his mouth as Amalia screamed at the top of her lungs, her body falling limp as she glided down from an intense orgasm that left her seeing stars. Pulling away from her now extremely sensitive area, Reno moved over Amalia and gazed down at her beauty; with eyelids half closed, her mouth barely open as tiny intakes of air escaped her lips. A few seconds passed before she realized Reno was over her pleasured body as she finally turned her eyes up towards him.

"Someone looks like they enjoyed themselves," Reno commented as he ran his knuckles against her cheek.

She sighed at his touch; her thoughts immediately treading backwards in time to a mere moment ago when all she was feeling was Reno's touch in an area she never dreamed a male would trespass. But there she was, pleasure ridden as the effects of her first ever orgasm began to dissipate from her body. "I enjoyed myself more than I thought I would, Reno."

He arched an eyebrow. "I was hoping you would say that, yo."

"It was...I-I don't think I can even describe the sensations I just experienced..." He silenced her mouth with a touch of his lips as her hands moved up and down his body, eventually landing on the tip of his boxers that were still attached to his lower torso. Thumbing her fingers inside the fabric, Amalia pulled the fabric down over the red-head's hips, hoping he would acknowledge what she was wanting. Taking the obvious hint, Reno grabbed her hands as they slid his last remaining piece of clothing off of his chiseled body and tossed them aside, not needing them in this particular moment. Their kiss never ended and as their clothe less bodies shimmered against each other, both opened their eyes at the new found wonder they had for one another. But as their bodies grew closer together, Amalia could feel a poking into her abdomen and she pulled away from Reno's lips to look down, only to gawk her eyes back up to him, cheeks enflamed with an onslaught of newfound embarrassment. The sound of Reno's chuckling echoed at the blonde's innocence. "It's ok, Ashe, you can look." Plopping onto his aide, Reno revealed the chiseled body he'd formed over the years by working for the infamous Turks.

Amalia's eyes stared upon the wonder that was right before her. She couldn't beleive that it had taken her four long years to realize that she wanted this man - needed this man - and had to claim him as hers. Trailing down across his luxurious body, the blonde's eyes again came into contact with the hardened muscle that was produced between the middle of Reno's legs. Tenderly, she reached her hand out, suddenly aching to stroke her fingers against the soft, hardened flesh. The tip of her index finger was met with its tip and immediately Reno's head was thrown back, a good sign that encouraged Amalia to continue in her investigation.

Wrapping the rest of her fingers around his staff, Amalia pulled upwards, the skin of her fingers enticing the skin of his hardened penis. All the while Reno clenched his teeth and tried to focus on the cuteness Amalia presented. She was so innocent and new to her sexuality that everything she did turned him on. But as he watched her, the more he wanted to reach the second step, even though he really wanted her to give him oral the way he had to her. _That'll have to wait for another day. And I'll gladly wait for it, Reno thought. _

Deep in concentrated, Amalia questioned what would happen now, but her thoughts were cut short as Reno suddenly grasped her shoulders and flung her back against the bed, a knee pushing her thighs apart. "Reno?"

"I cannot even express how…utterly amazing that felt..."

"Then why did you stop? Didn't you want me to continue?"

"Oh course I did. But there's more to our lovemaking that I want to experience right now." And in order for his words to sink in, Reno ran the length if his penis across her thigh, hopefully sending off the correct image. A moan unconsciously escaped her lips as she looked into the cerulean eyes of her lover. Although she was just as excited, the sudden fear of the pain that she had heard about suddenly took over. Reno noticed the conflict reflected on her face and smoothed the hair out of her eyes. "I know what you're thinking, babe, but trust me when I say that it'll only hurt for a minute, then you'll feel nothing but amazing pleasure.

This is what it came down to: trust. Amalia knew that Reno would never do anything intentionally to put her in harm's way, het when it came to this, she questioned it. _I've been avoiding this moment for years. The physical pain is scary, yes, but I was more scared of Reno leaving me because I was a virgin and wouldn't be able to perform with what he's used to. But no more! I love this man with my life and I'll let him see how much so._

Looking straight up into his face Amalia said, "Give me the greatest pleasure you can, Reno."

The red-sucked in a breath. _Damn, this woman knows just what to say to turn me on even more. _"You got it babe." Pulling her legs closer to his, Reno angled the tip of his penis against her opening and Amalia slightly gasped with an unexpected tingling sensation coursed through her veins. Holding her hips in place, Reno slowly began entering himself into to her slick tightness, moving only the head in and out. He wanted to go slow, but Reno knew that it would be better if it was done quickly. Leaning over Amalia, he arched his hips and pushed himself deep inside her with just one thrust, he immediately ripped through her innocence as a wail of pain screamed out of Amalia. A few tears instantly ran down her cheeks in protest to the sudden threat of pain as Reno kissed each one before they could fall onto the bed. He stayed within her without moving until she could settle with his thickness deep inside her. She wiggled every few seconds and after a while, she nodded her head, indicating that it was okay to continue. Taking his cue, Reno slowly pulled back and just as easily thrust back in. Soft whimpers continued to echo from Amalia, but after a few more thrusts, they turned from whimpers of discomfort to whimpers of complete pleasure

Grabbing onto his forearms, Amalia distinctly wrapped her legs around his waist, granting a deeper entrance into her hole. Reno clenched his teeth. Never before had he experienced a woman so tight as Amalia, and the more he thought about it, the closer he came to releasing. _Fuck, is there anything about this girl that doesn't turn me on?_

Thrust after thrust, moan after moan, the couple joined in intimacy that they had never lived through before. Amalia could feel a new, familiar tightness in her lower abdomen and she instantly knew what it was. Her arms wrapped around Reno's neck, pulling him down for a much needed kiss. As their lips touched, Reno's thrusts became erratic and he purged inside of her until Amalia had to scream out in delight. "Harder, Reno!" The red-head obliged, sweat dripping down the back of his neck while Amalia's hands dropped from his neck and tangled her fingers in the sheets, grasping with all her might. Amalia had been keeping her eyes closed, but Reno wanted to see her different colored irises stare up into his cerulean ones as they joined together. He wanted to look her in the eye as he made her reach another orgasm. Suddenly ceasing his onslaughts, he said, "Ashe, look at me."

Turning her head to his, the two lovers stared at one other, knowing that they had just crossed a line within their relationship; neither could go back, yet neither wanted to. They each intertwined their fingers into one as Reno began penetrating her slick folds once more. Both became labored in their breathing and it only took a few moments before Amalia yelled to the heavens. A familiar sensation was growing deep within the depths of her womanhood. It was a feeling she had only experienced once but wanted to feel it again and again - for as long as she could. "Reno…I'm almost there…!"

"Me…too…!" Mustering the rest of his strength that he could, Reno pummeled into his lover several more times. The red-head could immediately sense that the blonde had reached her orgasm; her inner walls tightened as her wetness increased tenfold. Her scream lit fireworks within his ears as his release was upon him and with one final thrust, Reno's orgasm drove him down as he released his seed deep within her body. He stilled, waiting until every last drop was milked from his body before he almost collapsed right on top of Amalia, but was able to land on his forearms before ultimately crushing her. Realizing he was still inside her intense warmth, Reno slowly pulled his still erect member from her body and rolled onto his side. Amalia followed suit as she scooted closer, suddenly having the need to hug Reno, holding him closer to her tense, yet amazingly pleasured, body. It dawned on her that she was no longer pure, no longer innocent, she had been claimed.

And it had been one of the most amazing moments of her life.

Their breathing began to still as they both wrapped their arms around the other; Amalia nuzzled against Reno's chest while his arms protectively enclosed around her back and pulled her even closer. They stayed in the same relaxing position for some time, neither uttering a word, both simply enjoying the blissful aftermath of their lovemaking. Amalia's breathing gradually reduced and she could intake a breath at a normal pace. Opening her mouth to speak, she quietly asked, "Reno...?"

The red-head tilted his chin downwards, his fingers intertwining within her blonde hair, massaging her scalp. "Yes, Ashe?"

Her cheeks began to turn red and Reno questioned what she was thinking that was causing this reaction. "Well, I…I was wondering i-if tonight w-was any…w-what I'm trying to say is…"

"Is whether tonight was amazing? Fantastic? Unbelievable…?" Grabbing her chin, Reno tilted her face towards his and lightly kissed her now swollen, red lips. "I can't even begin to explain how great tonight was."

"You really mean that…?" Her eyes slightly widened, a sudden express of raw emotions coursing through her still pulsating body. Her body shook, scooting as close as she could towards Reno, a blanket of coldness covering every inch of her skin. Grabbing the comforter from the end of the bed, Reno pulled the thick material over their sweaty bodies so her shaking would stop; as soon as the material touched her skin, Amalia calmed down, her eyelids suddenly dropping. She was on the verge of falling into a deep sleep.

Reno couldn't believe the sight before him; the moment he had been waiting for with Amalia had finally happened. Her body was spectacular – both in and out. He watched her body relax beneath his grip, her mind wandering, soon to be in a deep sleep, which they both needed at this point. Kissing the top of her head, Reno whispered into her ear, "You are everything I have been searching for, Amalia. I love you with all my heart."

As if on cue, Amalia's hand reached for her lovers and clasped their fingers together, allowing Reno the peace of mind to fall asleep alongside her.

~ oOo ~

_**And there you have it – they finally joined as one! I dunno about you but…damn I need to go get some water. What do ya'll think? Good? Bad? Any improvements I could potentially make? I'd love to hear from everyone to see what they think. But stay tuned, I'm hoping to update real soon but I won't make any promises. Work does tend to get in the way of my writing.**_

_**Read, review, enjoy!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

_**Hey everyone! I'm truly sorry that it's taken me this long to update. I've spent the last two months spending my time working, crocheting and catching up on my reading now that I've been on summer vacation which also means that I haven't really been on my computer. I'm hoping that I'll be writing more than I have been but just so everyone knows I haven't abandoned the story – so please stay tuned until I complete it! Which won't be for quite some time :)**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

The silkiness of the sheets cascaded over luscious skin as Amalia continued to sleep. Occasionally, she would move across the mattress, trying to find a better position to ease her slight restlessness. But as she continued to toss and turn, Amalia gradually began to awaken, her eyelids cracking every so often but not quite ready to fully open and acknowledge the world outside of her sleep. Taking a deep breath, she dared to open her eyes, only to find the other lamp on Reno's side of the room turned on, the rest of the room reverberated in darkness in which she closed her eyelids once more. Turning on her side one last time, Amalia outstretched her hand, hoping that it would fall on a familiar, muscular chest of her favorite red-head.

"Reno…"

Her soft voice echoed across the dark room, and although she expected to hear an answer in reply, she received none in kind. Questioning where he was, Amalia opened her eyes a second time, the lenses adjusting towards the difference in lighting than when she fell asleep. Scanning the bed, she noticed that Reno's side of the mattress was empty. Amalia traced a hand over the sheets and noticed that it was still warm. _Then where is he…?_ she asked herself. Opening her mouth, she tried to say his name but her throat unexpectedly went dry. With a heart that suddenly began to beat past the normal rate, Amalia's fears reverberated against the inside of her brain and she quickly sat up in bed, the sheet falling from her unclothed body as her eyes brimmed with unwanted tears.

"Reno…" Her voice quivered. She _knew_ that Reno wouldn't leave her after one night of lovemaking – especially since it was his apartment – but she couldn't shake the thought away from her cruel mind. So she tried one more time. "Reno!"

The door to the bathroom burst open and Reno appeared in the doorframe, barely standing there for a second before he headed straight for the edge of the bed, dropping down and clasped Amalia's hands within his own. Her skin was clammy compared to his and her limbs were shaking. Looking down at her hands, Reno had no idea what was going on but as he looked into her eyes, he immediately knew, but still decided to ask. "Ashe, babe, what's wrong…?"

She sat there speechless for a moment before looking into his cerulean eyes. "I…I woke up a-and you weren't there…" The unshed tears began to fall down her face. As quickly as they fell she pulled her hands from Reno's and covered her face, not wanting the red-head to see her weakness. "I-I'm sorry Reno…I suddenly got scared because you weren't there…"

"Shhh," his hand cradled her cheek, pulling her fingers away so he could brush away her tears. "Hey listen to me, I'm sorry. I just needed to use the bathroom, ok?" She nodded, but Reno felt as if she was agreeing simply because she could – and not that she really believed him. "Ashe – _look at me_." He didn't mean for his words to come out as sternly as they did, but he wanted her to understand what he was about to say. It took Amalia a few seconds before her eyes trailed upwards back up into his. "Listen babe, I know your fears. You gained the courage last night to tell me everything that you're feeling and I took that to heart." Both his hands held her face and he brought it towards his, lips mere inches from each other. "But listen to this: _I'm never going to leave you_."

She gained the courage to speak. "Never…?"

He chuckled. _She's so goddamn innocent and sweet that I can't be mad at her. I was her first…not only that, I'm the first man she's ever been in a relationship with_. "Why in the hell…would I _ever_ leave such an amazing person such as you? Amalia, I've told you this I dunno how many times but you are everything I've been looking for." Leaning forward, the red-head placed a kiss on his lover's soft lips. "And by the way, about last night?"

"Yes…?"

"Was the best sex I've ever fucking had, yo." This allowed Amalia to express a small chuckle from her mouth. She felt she shouldn't with the way she had acted, but Reno's cocky personality and the way he ended his sentences with his infamous 'yo' always brought a smile and a laugh upon her lips.

As she wiped the remaining tears from her eyes she asked, "The best you've _ever_ had?"

"Oh yes."

"The best out of all those other girls in the past?"

_Oh I see where she's going with this_. "Ashe, all those girls in the past were idiotic ways for me to get rid of some tension. I felt nothing by having sex with them – it was just sex with nothing attached with it. But, with you, it's different…" Lifting his hand, Reno ran his fingers through her soft, messy hair. "There's emotion between us, something I've never experienced because I could never find the _right_ girl… Honestly," his eyes dropped her hers. "It's probably because I felt I never deserved someone to love me with all the sins I've committed in the past. But you, my angel," he cupped her cheek and brought his gaze back towards hers. "You've shown me that I'm allowed to feel these emotions running rampage inside me; that I _deserve_ to be with an astounding woman such as yourself. So why would I ever leave someone who fully accepts the sins deep within me?"

Any of the last unshed tears were now gently trailing down Amalia's face. She always knew how Reno felt about their relationship, but the more he opened up to her, the more she came to love and respect him. In a soft voice, she replied, "Because everybody deserves second chances. You are an amazing man, Reno. Yes you've done some crazy shit in your life, but I'm just as guilty – I can share your pain on some of the things I've done as well. I accept you just as much as you fully accept me." Looking down, she finally realized that the bed sheet was no longer covering her bare skin, leaving her breasts openly exposed. Gazing back at Reno, she noticed that his eyes had followed hers down to her chest and he looked at her face, his eyes shining with a wanton desire that he didn't dare hide. With a sudden urge bubbling deep within the pits of her stomach, she too had a wanton desire that suddenly needed to be filled. Falling back down against the bed Amalia looked up at Reno's eyes and, in a seductive voice, said, "So why don't you show me these feelings I help you feel…?"

Reno's eyes opened wide as saucers. Even with the beautiful sight before him, he still couldn't believe what was happening in that moment. _Did I just hear her correctly? Oh fuck, the way this girl still manages to surprise me…_ Lowering his voice he said, "So, you wanna know how you make me feel?" All the while Reno began to crawl amongst the bed, legs and arms standing firm against the bed beside Amalia's body as he towered above her silhouette; she nodded her head, her eyes just as wide as his was a moment before.

His voice became quiet as he lowered his face towards hers. "Oh babe, the things you make me feel…where should I begin?" He noticed her lips parted as her breathing became heavier. _This is good_, he told himself. "First, you make me feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world," he landed a kiss on her forehead. Amalia exhaled a pleasurable sigh, wanting more, suddenly needing more from her red-headed lover. "And right here is where you make my heart skip a beat every single time I hear your voice," he planted a kiss on her breast, right over her own heart. Scooting downwards across her body, Reno continued kissing and softly nipping Amalia's skin, leaving behind blemishes and marks that proved he had been there. "With you by my side, I feel wanted, needed…" He laid a wet kiss upon her taut stomach as his fingers delicately trailed down towards the apex of her thighs, lightly teasing the sensitive skin as he trailed them down lower. Reno was about to pronounce something cocky when the muscles of Amalia's midriff stomach rippled against his lips – her stomach was once again calling her food.

Growling out of annoyance than anger, Reno laid his forehead upon her stomach and laughed. "Twice," he said, lifting his eyes o look at hers, which were full of amusement. "Twice in one week your stomach has killed the mood."

Amalia couldn't help but laugh. How could she not? The thought of her stomach halting the infamous Reno on his quest to pursue her sexually was fantastic. "I'm sorry. What can I say? I love to eat just as much as you do, Reno."

Reno sat up and groaned, still not able to believe that the fun they could've had was lost. _But there will be more_, he reminded himself. "Must mean you're hungry for dinner, huh?"

She looked at him questioningly. "What time is it?" Glancing over at the clock her mouth dropped.

"It's almost eight."

"That's it? I thought we slept well into the night!"

"Nope, just through the afternoon."

"Hmph…well, in that case, I'm going to go make us something to eat. What sounds good?"

Reno shrugged his shoulders. "You know I'll eat practically anything – especially if it's something you've made. You're the best cook I know."

"I didn't know I was a good cook. I just try to remember everything my mom cooked." She shrugged her shoulders as well then stood, pulling the loose sheet as she did so. Her embarrassment to be seen naked in front of Reno was still evident and she tightly wrapped the cotton material around her as she made her way towards the closet to grab some clothing, anything she could easily wear around the house that was also comfortable. But as she stepped towards their combined wardrobe, Reno quickly followed suite and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"What do you think you're doing?" Amalia glanced at him over her shoulder, a questioning look held within her glowing mako eyes. "Why're you wrapped in a sheet, yo?"

"Oh, well I…" With a face growing red by the second, Amalia was at a loss for words. She knew the reason but thinking of a well to tell Reno seemed more difficult than she initially thought. So in a quiet voice she whispered, "I'm embarrassed…"

"Of what, babe?" She turned and poked her finger straight into his chest. "Me?" She simply nodded her head, too guilty to say anything. "Why? You were fine a few moments ago when you were displaying your rack, babe." Amalia's face grew redder than a tomato. She hadn't expected him to say something like that and Reno could tell he had made her uncomfortable. "Hey, sorry, I shouldn't have said it. I was just caught off guard by your embarrassment. But babe, listen, it's just me, there's no need to be nervous with your body. I saw everything last night; you have nothing to hide from me." Placing his hand over hers that was keeping the sheet against her body, he gently pulled. "Why don't we take this off?"

Heaving a sigh, Amalia agreed, knowing that Reno was right – once again. Dropping her hand, Reno's fingers grasped the material and pulled it away from her body, allowing it to steadily drop to the floor in a heap around her ankles. As she felt the sheet fall, Amalia closed her eyes, but as the seconds ticked, nothing happened and she gradually opened one eye and then the other, only to find Reno intensely staring into her mako induced orbs. Oddly enough, she felt comfortable and relaxed, completely the opposite from what she was expecting. _Last night was so much easier to be naked in front of Reno than this morning. But…it's not that bad. I kinda like the way he's looking at me though. That's hot – I think I could get used to this._

Scooting towards her body and clutching her chin, Reno asked, "So how ya feeling, babe?"

.

"Good. I-I surprisingly feel really comfortable." She blinked a few times. "I'm supposed to feel like this, aren't I?"

_Holy fucking shit, is she just going to keep getting cuter the longer we're together?_ "Of course, babe. Look at me! I'm naked as well and feel great!"

Amalia pulled her chin away and laughed. "Yeah, but you're a pervert – and a proud one at that."

"Hey!" He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards his chest. "I heard that, yo."

"I'd hope you would, 'yo'," she mimicked.

He smothered her mouth with a kiss, hoping to silence her in the process. "Oh you think you're just so funny, don't you?"

"Yep!" Releasing herself from his embrace, Amalia walked into the closet just as she originally planned and grabbed the last clean sports bra she had available.

Reno watched her walk, mainly to see her bottom bounce as she walked, but to see what she was grabbing. "What, you really gonna put some clothes on? We just got you comfortable being naked in front of me!"

"Reno, I'm going to make us dinner, remember?"

He pouted, deep down knowing that she was right but wasn't in the position to admit such an atrocity. And then an idea popped into his perverted brain. "You could always cook naked."

She stuck her head out the doorway and immediately replied, "No."

"Awwwwwww come on, why not?"

"You really want me to potentially burn myself? Yeah, I can cook, Reno, but I'm still a klutz, even in the kitchen."

"Damn…"

"Hey, maybe one of these days, ok?"

"You mean there's hope?!"

"The fuck Reno, we had sex just last night and you're already thinking of different things I can do _naked_?!"

"What can I say; I'm a man who knows what he wants."

"Yeah, yeah." Walking back into the bedroom, she snatched her underwear off of the floor and slid back into them; Reno followed suit, finding his boxers and throwing them on. As he walked towards the dresser with his night shirts Amalia asked, as she threw the sports bra over her head, "Hey, can you toss me a pair of your sweats?"

"Sweats? You mean you're cold, babe?"

"Kinda. You know how I am."

"That I do, yo." Pulled the grey material from the bottom drawer, he tossed the item to Amalia who quickly pulled them onto her lower half, all the while with Reno watching her. She sighed as a sudden rush of heat seeped into her legs; in which she walked back into the closet to grab a pair of socks which she donned on her feet. "Ahhh, much better."

"Damn Ashe, you really must be cold."

"Told you."

"Maybe…" Reno walked towards her as they made their way out the bedroom and down towards the kitchen. "…maybe there's a way I can help warm you up a bit?"

Amalia chuckled and turned her head towards the red-head when they hit the bottom of the stairs. "How about after dinner?"

"Damn…"

Completely changing the subject with a one eighty, Amalia asked, "So what sounds good for dinner? I can make something really quick like sandwiches or I can make something that'll leave us with leftovers."

"Leftovers would probably be the better choice of the two."

"Alright, how about rotini pasta with meatballs?"

Reno's mouth instantly began to water – she didn't need to repeat herself. "Hot damn that sounds fucking delicious."

"Alrighty-then, that's what we're having. But you're going to help."

"What? Aww…why? I thought I'd get to sit and watch you're beautiful body as you danced around the kitchen."

Though his comment induced a heated blush that continued to crawl across her cheeks, Amalia was still shocked by his statement. "Reno!"

"What? You have an _amazing_ ass, yo!"

But she couldn't help but giggle. A perverted man…that was the type of man she was now in a relationship with. And she wouldn't change it for the world. "Alright I'll make you a deal. All you have to do is turn the oven on and when the temperature is ready, place the meatballs on a cookie sheet and tuck them inside. Once the timer goes off, pull them out and I'll take care of the rest. That way, you are _technically_ helping me but you're still allowed to watch this _ass_." As she finished her sentence, Amalia thrust her hip against the counter as she attempted to push in the drawer she had just pulled a few utensils from.

"Oh…babe you said that so sexily. Do it again, please?"

Turning her eyes towards him, she gave him a smile and, again, thrust her hip against the granite counter. "You like?"

"You know I do babe!"

"Good, good. Now please, turn the oven on while I start boiling the noodles."

"Yes ma'am," Reno obliged, following the direct orders of his lover. Although the red-head wasn't given that much to work with, the two worked in unison, each knew where the other was so they didn't bump into one another. Amalia set to work boiling the rotini noodles and as Reno turned the oven on, he sat down at the kitchen table, admiring the view from behind. Working like clockwork, Reno was correct in his assessment that she would dance around the kitchen. One minute she was stirring the pasta, the next she was mixing different herbs into the now heated sauce. _This woman can do everything_, Reno thought as he continued to survey her dance – and her ass, for that matter. _For Gaia's sake, she could be fighting an entire army and still be able to cook a wondrous meal_.

"Reno." Her angelic voice immediately brought his attention back to reality.

"Yeah?"

"Oven's ready. You wanna put the meatballs in?"

"On it!" Standing, Reno grabbed the already filled tray of meatballs and pulled back the oven lid as he slid them in. "How long you think they need to be in there? Twenty minutes?"

"Eh, we'll try twelve and see where that takes us."

"Why the big difference?" Now standing behind her, Reno placed his hands along the contours of Amalia's hips, gently pulling her back against his body.

Amalia simply smiled as she continued to stir the pasta and sauce simultaneously. "When baking in the oven, it's always better to bake for less than the package usually says. All ovens cook differently. Also, if you cook items this way, you'll be able to tell whether you've burnt them or not."

"Oh, ok."

"Besides, you'd rather have cooked meatballs in your pasta than burnt ones, am I correct?"

"Hell yeah, burnt meatballs would be gross."

"And that's why we'll try twelve minutes. Honestly though, they might be done around ten. You have a badass oven."

"I do?"

"Of course. Have you ever tried baking anything and noticing that it sometimes doesn't take as long as it usually would?"

Walking towards her side, Amalia looked at his face and stifled a laugh that developed deep within her chest. The look Reno was giving her resembled that of stupidity and seriousness. "Ashe, do I honestly look like someone who can cook?"

This time she did laugh out loud. "No. And I'm assuming this is where you're gonna say that's why you have me? So I can cook for you?"

"Uh…yeah! Babe, you remember when we first started going out, I lived off of Wutai take-out for months."

"Tch, that's true. But that's something you'll never give up."

"Fuck no! Wutai take-out is delicious!"

"Alright, alright chatter-monkey, I think the timer is about to go off."

_BEEP, BEEP, BEEP. _

Pulling the delicious mounds of meat from the heated convection, Reno placed the cookie sheet on a few hot pads Amalia had placed on the counter. Grabbing a knife, she cut on in half and threw one in her mouth. She grinned, knowing that they were completely done. Grabbing the other half, she told Reno to open his mouth where she threw the meatball inside. "Mmm, damn that's good. So they're done?"

"Yep. Not too hot which is perfect, they'll finish cooking in the sauce – oh yeah. Good job babe, you cooked them perfectly."

"Well, I had a pretty fine teacher to teach me this shit." As he walked back towards the table, Reno slapped Amalia's ass, the _SMACK_ sound echoing across the kitchen. Jumping at the unexpected pain, and pleasure, Amalia quickly turned and lightly punched Reno in the shoulder.

"You are such a _pervert_, Reno!"

"You know you love me."

~ oOo ~

_**While writing I felt that this chapter was in the middle between being important and a filler chapter. However, I believe it works for both since I haven't updated in a while (again I'm sorry!). It provides how both are feeling after that came together as a couple and I think it shows how the two interact around one another – in a both comical/serious scene (at least I tried to be comical). **_

_**Please enjoy! And to be honest, I will write when I can since school starts again soon so please don't stop reading!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_**I don't really have much to say other than I want to thank everyone who had read **__**Becoming His Angel**__**! The story has hit a little over 1,000 reviews and I would like to appreciate those who have read and/or left comments. It is respected on my part and I hope everyone enjoys this latest chapter and what's to come in the future!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

"So, what's on our agenda today?"

Both Reno and Amalia were sitting on the couch in silence, debating about what activities they should do in order. Reno held a beer within his hand while Amalia, who sat towards the end of the couch with a crochet project in hand, moved her fingers swiftly as she alternated between different stiches she wanted to incorporate. She occasionally glanced up from her work, waiting to hear back from her lover.

"We could always just have a lazy day. You know, stay here, drink beer, maybe watch a couple movies?"

"That sounds fun, I could always work on getting this baby outfit done."

"How much left do you have?"

"For this specific outfit? Not that much longer but…aw shit."

"What's wrong?"

Amalia pulled the yarn bag towards her as she looked through all the different bundles of color and sizes. Not finding what she was looking for, she fell back against the couch and sighed. "Damn…I'm out of the yarn I was using." Turing her head towards Reno she asked, "Mind if we hit the craft store before we begin our adventurous, lackadaisical day?"

"Of course. You wanna walk or take the bike?" Placing the beer bottle on the table, Reno stood and held out his hand for Amalia to take, in which she did and stood alongside him.

"Let's walk – it's not that far and the weather looks lovely outside."

"Alrighty-then, let's get this shenanigan out of the way."

Grabbing some gil from her bag on the table, Amalia placed the bills in the back pocket of her jeans before leaving the apartment. Strutting down the stairs, the couple held each other hand-in-hand, a newborn intimacy burned underneath their skin; they wanted their skin to touch as much as possible, but since they were going out in public, holding hands would be suffice enough until they made it back home.

For now.

As they exited the building, Amalia shielded her eyes from the onslaught of the burning sun. The weather outside was perfect; few clouds cradled the sky as the sun made its way overhead, indicating that midday was around the corner. Amalia couldn't help but smile. After the Meteor attack and the construction of Edge, the sun has barely been visible, due to the pollution from the Mako extraction. But now, after several years have passed, the pollution has begun to dissipate and the surrounding skies have never looked cleaner. As usual, the city was bustling with people; adults and children walking through the streets of Edge, either enjoying the weather before it became too hot or walking towards an unknown destination in search of something to do.

Angling his head downwards, Reno glanced at the beautiful woman that stood beside him, still was still clutching his hand tightly. Her long tresses of hair blew softly as a light breeze began to blow through. Reno couldn't help but be captivated by her beauty – both what she held on the inside and the outside. In his eyes, Amalia was the most outstanding person he had ever met, which also included all the people at Shinra he'd worked with over the years. Feeling that someone was staring at her, Amalia glanced upward only to find Reno intensely looking at her. "What?" she asked softly.

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all." A sly smile appeared across the red-heads face as Amalia chuckled beside him.

"Sure, sure, it was 'nothing'."

Wanting to change the subject before he had to come clean, Reno asked, "So, is there anything else you need to buy other than yarn?"

"Mmm…" Amalia thought for a second. She knew in the future she might need something more, but that depended on whether she decided to create more gifts for Yuffie and Vincent or to just give them the present she was currently making. "I think I just need yarn. Once I finish, though, I'll need to get some cute wrapping paper but that can wait till later."

"You sure? We're already out and about, might as well get what we need. Doesn't your craft store also carry wrapping paper?"

"I think so…but I only pay attention to the yarn." She giggled softly. "Yeah why don't we look? It doesn't hurt and if I find something now I won't have to later."

Letting go of her hand, Reno laced his arm over her shoulder and brought her close, placing a kiss upon her head. "I love you Ashe, you deserve everything in this world."

"Aw Reno, you're such a softy at heart." But the red-head stopped walking and once again peered into her eyes, waiting for her to reply to something he had said. She blinked a few times them smiled. "And I love you too my cocky red-head."

Within the next few minutes the couple had reached the small, yet well furnished, craft supply store. Walking inside, the older lady behind the counter, upon hearing the chime on the door, peered upwards and smiled as she recognized one of her favorite customers. "Amalia, my dear, welcome!"

Turning her head towards the voice calling her name, Amalia said, "Well hello there, Joy! How're you doing today?"

"Good, good. Been a little slow today, but some days are like that, know what I mean?" Upon looking at Joy, Amalia smiled. A few years ago when she and the rest of AVALANCHE helped to establish Edge was when Amalia had met Joy. The older lady had owned a smaller craft store in Midgar and reopened when Edge was created. Amalia had gone in on the day the store opened and the immediately clicked when they introduced themselves. Since that first day, the two had still remained close friends and Joy always managed to give Amalia a discount every now and then. Joy glanced up at the red-head and beamed. "Ah, I see you brought Reno this time. How are you doing young man?"

"Pretty good today, ma'am, how about yourself?"

"About the same." Turning to Amalia she said, "Damn has he got some manners, huh?"

The blonde smiled. "Ehh, sometimes and sometimes he decides to not use them." She elbowed Reno in the side and snickered.

"Ha ha, ladies. Say what you want but the infamous Reno acts the way he wants when he feels it's appropriate."

"Oh I sincerely doubt that," Amalia rebuked with a smile.

"So you doubt my awesomeness?"

"Can't doubt what you don't have." She attempted to say without giggling but failed and had to hold a hand against her mouth.

"Whoa now that's just mean, Ashe."

"Hey now, hey now you two, calm down. Do you two always bicker like this?" Joy asked.

Both the blonde and red-head glanced at each other and asked simultaneously, "We were bickering?"

"Yes…?" Joy replied slowly. "You didn't know you were?"

They both laughed and Reno was the first to speak. "No, I guess this is who we usually are. I knew she was joking."

"As did I with him," Amalia inquired.

"Wow," Joy said. "You two are such an unordinary couple."

"Well thank you!" Both, once again, replied in unison.

Joy laughed and turned to walk back towards the front counter. Knowing she still had a business to run, she asked, "So, what are you looking for today, Amalia?"

Following her towards the counter, Amalia questioned, "Do you remember I came in a few weeks ago and bought a few skeins of soft yarn for a baby outfit I was making? It was a turquoise color with a little hint of green? I was wondering if you had anymore left?"

"Hmmm, I think I remember what you're speaking of. Let me look in the back but I think I have a few left. I'll be quick." And she disappeared to the back of the store, leaving the couple alone. Amalia sheepishly looked at Reno but averted his eyes when he glanced at her. _Oh, I know what she has on her mind_, Reno thought. But the two had barely enough time to say a word before Joy had reappeared from the back of the store, a few skeins of yarn overflowing in her hands.

"You are one lucky customer, Amalia. I searched through a few boxes and couldn't find any, but then I remembered I placed a new order a few weeks ago." Placing what she was holding on the counter, Amalia smiled knowing that what Joy had brought was the color she exactly needed. "These just arrived this morning."

"Oh Joy, you are amazing!"

"Ahhh, I've just been in the business long enough. So how many will you take today?"

"Um, I'll take two just in case. And if I use only one I'll have enough spare for the future!"

"Oh the life of crocheting; we'll stock yarn and say we'll use it but question if we actually will."

"Actually that is kinda true," Amalia stated while laughing. "But, I was also wondering if you had any baby gift wrapping, per chance?"

"Well of course I do! Anything you particular you want?"

"Something cute, that could go for either a girl or a boy."

"I'm guessing you don't know what the gender is?"

"Well, I'm actually not sure if my friend even knows what she's having. If she does know then she's keeping it a secret from us. I can understand if she wants to keep it a secret but why not tell her closest friends?"

"You're assuming she does know. But sometimes it's a better if the mother and father keep the secret to themselves – or better yet, don't find out at all until the baby is born."

"Some parents do that?"

"Well of course. That's what my husband and I did for all our children." Patting Amalia's arm before she walked towards the baby isle, she said, "Just wait until you have kids, it'll all make sense then."

Amalia's eyes widened for a second before returning to normal size. Joy hadn't noticed the difference but Reno could tell something she had said affected Amalia in a certain way. Grabbing her hand he asked, "Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Come on Ashe, what she said slightly bothered you. Am I right?"

"I just…I dunno if I want kids, so I don't know if I'll be able to experience what she's talking about."

"Hey, listen to me; don't overthink about everything, I've told you this before." Taking her head into his hands, Reno skimmed his thumbs along her jaw, trying to calm her down. "If you don't want kids you don't want kids, it's as simple as that."

"But what about you? Didn't you once tell me that you've always wanted children?"

Kissing the top of her head, Reno replied, "As of right now all I want is you. If kids are somehow planned in our future then great – if not, then as long as I have you my life will be complete. Are you ok with that?"

She nodded. "I'm more than ok with that."

Just as the last word poured from her mouth, Joy walked into their bubble carrying two different kinds of paper and placed them on the counter. "Ok, so I found a blue one with bears and one that's white with puppies. Which would be – "

"Oh, oh, oh I want the puppy one!" Amalia squealed like a young child as she reached and grabbed the wrapping paper she decided to take. Eyeing the design, she turned towards Reno who was eyeing her in his own way.

"Is that the one you want?" She nodded enthusiastically – this earned a laugh from Reno as he leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. "Well alright, let's grab it and go. You need anything else?"

Hugging both items towards her chest, Amalia replied, "No, I'm all set." Turning towards Joy, she set the items on the counter. "Joy, it was fantastic to see you today but we have plans to do absolutely nothing today."

The older lady laughed. "Ah, I see, it's one of those days, huh?" She observed the couple that stood before them. "Ah, young love…you two are the cutest I have ever seen. And I've been around for quite some time."

The blonde and red-head turned towards one another and smiled before turning their attention back towards Joy. "Well thank you!" They both said in unison.

Joy chuckled and looked at the items on the counter. "Alright, well let's get this rung up for you so you two lovebirds can go home. Let's see, we have a few skeins of yarn and a roll of wrapping paper, that'll be…" Writing the price of each item on a notepad, she circled the final price after a few quite seconds. "So that comes to twenty-eight gil. And I gave you a discount because you are my favorite customer."

Before Amalia could pull a couple of bills out of her pocket, Reno was already handing over Joy the amount to pay and she accepted the payment by the time Amalia even realized what was happening. "Hey, why're you paying for my purchase?"

"Because I want to treat you."

"Why? I brought my own money and – "

Reno's hand curved at the base of Amalia's head and he dipped his lips towards her, silencing the last of her statement before she could even finish. After a few seconds passed, Reno pulled back and watched as Amalia's eyes glazed over with a sudden lust-filled craving. "Let me treat you once in a while, 'kay?" Amalia could only nod meekly as Reno handed the several bills towards Joy who tried her best not to snicker. She had only seen the couple together a handful of times and each time she could sincerely tell the love they shared was genuine and pure. Through all the suffering she had seen in the last few years, it warmed her heart knowing that the human race was still capable of loving on an intimate and affectionate level.

Keeping the small talk to a minimum, Reno and Amalia left the store, once again hand-in-hand, and walked into the mass of people who swarmed Edge around lunchtime. But the couple was wary of the mass amount of people that surrounded them as they made their way home. For the two, the only people who existed were the significant other who was holding their hand. Trudging slowly on their way back to the apartment, the two spent their time soaking in the blissful sun and each other's company. Not one second was spent in silence; each supplied enough topics to keep the conversation fresh, both deeply engaged in what the other had to say.

However, Amalia, on a few occasions, turned her head to look behind them as they walked towards the apartment. Since leaving the store, the blonde continued to have a feeling that someone had been watching her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She didn't mention this information to Reno; he had been worried enough for the last couple of days and she didn't want to add any extra unnecessary stress on his shoulders. Each time she casually turned her head away from the red-head, she searched through the crowds that surrounded them but was unsuccessful in finding the potential culprit that was sending shivers up her spine. By the time they reached the outside of their building, Amalia had given up on finding if there was anyone out in the crowds watching her or Reno. As the two walked inside, already discussing which movie they would watch, the slight tension in Amalia's shoulders had already dissipated; she had Reno to protect her and she didn't want to ruin the time they had together with another "attack".

~ oOo ~

"Oh my god…did you see _that_?" A woman standing directly outside of _Joy's Crafts_ held a petite hand against her lower back and the other on her swelling, pregnant stomach. She had just witnessed an incident she never dared to dream that she would see in her ninja life. The woman grabbed the leathery shirt sleeve of her husband and tugged until he focused his attention directly towards her.

"What were you looking at?"

"I'm pointing right at it – are you seeing what I'm seeing?! This is _serious_!" Pointing her index finger at Amalia and Reno who had walked right passed them, the woman continued to tug her husband's sleeve in exasperation, unsure of how to handle the current situation that was laid out before her sharp, attentive eyes.

Focusing his eyes on what his wife wanted him to see, the man blew a sigh from his lips and said, "Well, I did not see that coming."

Reaching underneath her husband's cloak, the woman grabbed his phone and quickly opened the device and was already dialing a number when she hastily stated, "I need to call the group and tell them about this."

"You sure that's a good idea?" The husband glanced down at his wife, an eyebrow raised in questioning her motives.

"Oh hell yes it is! I sure as hell am _not_ gonna let Amalia get away with this treachery!"

The husband sighed again and rubbed the back of his neck knowing that once his wife set her mind towards something, there was no way he would be able change it. "Do what you want, just don't come yelling at me if this comes to bite you in the butt, Yuffie."

"No Vincent, this needs to happen. How in the hell could Amalia, one of us, _screw_ with one of the Turks?!" She growled into the phone but immediately stopped when the person she had been trying to call answered on their end. "Tifa? Yeah it's me, Yuffie. Listen, we have an emergency here – no, the baby is fine, that's not why I'm calling. Just listen ok? Did Cid pick up everyone already? Good, tell him to hurry, we all need to have a meeting that includes a certain blonde's twin sister." Yuffie stopped talking as Tifa continued the conversation on the other end. Looking up into the eyes of her husband, she could tell that he was not happy with her decision, but nonetheless went along with it.

_"Yuffie, you still there?"_ She heard Tifa say on the other end.

"Yeah, I'm still here."

_"What's this about?"_

"I'm curious, is Amalia with you right now?"

_"No, she's been visiting a friend for the past few days."_

"Then I'm about to tell you where she's really been."

~ oOo ~

The door to the apartment swung open as Reno allowed Amalia entered first. Heading straight for the kitchen, she bee-lined for the fridge where she pulled out a bottle of water for her as well as a fresh, cold beer for Reno, who accepted it gratefully as he plopped onto the couch. Following suit, Amalia extended her legs to rest of the coffee table as she downed the water in a few gulps.

"Thirsty or something?" Reno asked as he sipped his own drink.

"I guess, water just sounded delicious." Placing the now empty bottle on the table, she grabbed the remote to turn the television on before asking, "So, have we agreed on something to watch or are we undecided?"

Reno shrugged. "Still undecided."

"Does nothing sound good?"

"Now, I didn't say that," Reno replied, turning his head towards the blonde.

Tilting her head, Amalia creased her eyebrows. "Then what does sound good?"

"You."

"_Reno_!"

Jumping slightly as her tone, Reno placed his beer on the table so he wouldn't accidently spill it. "What? That's the truth, yo!"

Amalia watched as Reno stood and bent his back, trying to pop certain vertebrae, and once he succeeded, several cracks could be heard throughout the living room. Turning around, Reno noticed the stare of his lover and knelt down in front of her, keeping the same stare for as long as he was able too. Reaching for her hand, Reno held both within his own before finally looking away. She could immediately tell that something was different. Reno always loved to talk – hell, he even loved to hear himself speak – but at that exact moment, Amalia could tell that Reno had something on his mind; which meant that he was conflicted within himself whether to speak his thoughts or to keep it secret. Stealing one of her hands from his grasp, Amalia brushed her fingers against his cheek. "Is everything ok?"

Looking up into her color mixed eyes, Reno's mind wavered as he gazed at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen before. Consistently throughout his day, he was always reminding himself how Amalia was the embodiment of perfection in his eyes. Her personality was the most magnificent he had seen in all his days on Gaia and in the time he had first met her in the slums of Sector Five, he had never seen someone with a nature such as hers. Still not answering, Reno glanced down at the one hand which still held hers and rubbed his thumb across the back of her fingers. On the way home, although he had maintained talking with Amalia the entire way, his mind had been elsewhere. His thoughts were trampled with advice he had received from Rude a few days prior and became engraved in his mind; he wasn't able to shake what his partner had told him.

_"When you gonna ask her to marry your sexless ass?"_

He knew Rude was right and deep down, Reno had been asking himself the same question for quite some time now. The only reason he hadn't pursued in asking Amalia for her hand was his own doubt. He had been nervous by thinking that she might not be ready, she might turn him down anything else that's equally as terrible. But on the way home, something within him snapped and he realized that he had to take this chance.

They had been talking about numerous topics ranging from their relationship, their family and what they were like before they grew as a couple. Reno had watched Amalia almost the entirety of the time; he love the way he laugh seemed to echo within their surroundings, the way he eyes sparkled when she talked about something that touched her heart, or even the way her hair fluttered as a light breeze passed by. He watched her form and suddenly realized that Amalia wouldn't suddenly leave him in the dust; she was with him because she loved him and wanted to stay by his side. Reno had chuckled out loud when he realized his stupidity had clouded his judgement in furthering his life with the woman he loved. At the exact moment he made his decision, Reno abruptly came to a halt and pulled Amalia within his arms and claiming her lips with his. Without missing a beat, Amalia dropped her bags and wrapped her arms around Reno's muscular neck.

The two had stood their without a care in the world as the people surrounding them walked on, oblivious to the change that was about to occur within their eyes. Once they pulled back, their eyes spoke the words they wanted to whisper in the wind. Pecking her lips once more, Reno had grabbed her dropped bag and they continued walking home. At that moment, Reno knew that this woman, who had wholeheartedly accepted him without complaint, was the one he wanted for eternity. And he was determined to make that happen.

_Today. _

Tightening his hands around Amalia's, Reno once again looked into her eyes and swallowed a sudden fear that enveloped his heart. Taking a deep breath, Reno finally was able to mutter, "Amalia, there's…something I've been meaning to ask you, and I've had some difficulty in how I want to ask…" Reno trailed off. The fear he had replaced with sudden nervousness, an emotion that was rare for the red-head.

But Amalia was right there to caress her fingers once more against his cheek. "Hey, whatever it is, all you need to do is just ask, Reno. It's ok."

Reno took another deep breath. "Ok, here it goes." Looking straight into her loving eyes, Reno mustered the courage to say, "Amalia Strife, would you – "

And then he was interrupted when his phone on the table decided, at that precise moment, to start ringing. _God-fucking-dammit, why couldn't I think to put that damn thing on silent?! _Reno mentally kicked himself in the ass before apologizing towards Amalia and grabbing his phone from behind him. He froze when it read _Rufus_ on the screen and stood before saying, "Sorry Ashe, I need to take this."

"Let me guess: work?" He nodded and she laughed. "You know, for Rufus to give you time off, he sure does like to call you a lot lately."

Reno frowned because her statement was true but only he knew the actual truth as to why Rufus was actually calling him. Stepping into the kitchen, Reno answered the stupid device and held it towards his ear. "Reno," he said, trying to hold by a snap from his voice.

"_Reno, it's Rufus_."

"I know that, sir, I do have caller ID on my phone."

"_Well someone's a little sarcastic today, aren't they_?"

"Sir, you decided to call at a very…" Reno thought carefully on his words. He didn't want his boss knowing what he was about to ask Amalia. He ended his statement by saying, "…_very_, intimate moment, sir." The red-head knew that it was a lie but technically it actually work with the situation and he grinned, wanting his boss to feel shitty for calling.

"_Oh, I'm sorry_." But then Rufus decided to think carefully about Reno's words. "_Oh, __**ohhhhh**__…dear god Reno, I'm sorry. Should I…call you back so you can get back to…? No, I cannot say it_."

Reno's grin widened to his ears. He was happy with Rufus' response and decided to play along with the 'lie' he initiated. "No, sir, the moment is completely lost and cannot be regained at this instant. You might as well just explain why you called since you have ruined everything." Reno sighed to add emotion; he was having way to much fun screwing with his boss.

"_Ok, Reno, now you're just being melodramatic_."

The red-head cleared his throat. "Anyways, why do I owe the honor for this call, sir? Considering it is my time _off_." Reno emphasized the last word, hoping his boss would understand his meaning implied that Amalia was also in the room and had to be careful with his words.

"_I just wanted to inform you that Tseng was able to find a small lead in the investigation; both he and Rude left within the last hour. They'll most likely be gone for the next few days, trying to gain intel on this lead. I'm hoping they do find something_."

Reno resumed a silence he held the time Rufus had been speaking, but now that he was finished, he wasn't quite sure what to say. Soaking in the information he had just been provided, Reno rubbed the back of his neck, anxious to know what this so called 'lead' actually was and where the two Turks were going. "Hmm, that is interesting to hear, sir, I am glad that Elena is indeed doing much better."

"_Reno, I didn't mention Elena at all_."

_Dammit Rufus and your narrow mindedness_, Reno thought as he slapped his hand against his slick forehead. "I understand that she wants to see Amalia, I bet the girl is probably all lonely by herself. I guess if she wants company so badly that the two of us can _stop by tomorrow_ and we can all _chat_ then."

Rufus listened carefully to Reno's words and after and few silent moments, it finally registered in his brain what Reno was trying to do. "_Then it is agreed; the two of you will come down here where Amalia can visit Elena while I speak you with_."

"Yes, sir."

"_Keep an eye on her, Reno. Now that Tseng and Rude have left the area, take precaution on what you do and where you go. They could be lurking out there somewhere, waiting for the opportune moment_."

"I understand sir, we'll see you tomorrow." With a click on the phone, Reno ended the call. Staring at the device for several minutes, he wasn't sure how to feel with the call. Was it a good thing that Tseng was able to find something and they left yet again? Or could this possibly turn sour and somehow make the current situation worse? Even Reno wasn't sure how to answer that question.

With a shake of his head, he walked back into the living room, unsure of what to say considering what he was about to ask the love of his life. But as he rounded the couch, he noticed she had given him his space and privacy by centralizing her focus on continuing the crochet project she wasn't able to complete earlier. Even though she could still overhear the conversation leaking from the kitchen, Amalia always engrossed herself deeply into whatever it is she currently works on. And since she had to stop earlier because she ran out of yarn, Reno could tell all of her attention was on a metal needle and a ball of yarn. Although he had tried to use a 'code' when communicating with his boss, Reno knew that she had completely blocked them out. Even as he decided to sit on the couch, it took Amalia a few moments before she lifted her head and realized that Reno was no longer in the kitchen.

"Hello there, sweetie. So what did work call for?"

Although he hated to lie, it occurred to Reno that he lied to Amalia quite often. But looking back on what it was usually focused on, it made him feel slightly better, but he still suppressed the nagging feeling deep within his chest stating that what he was doing was deceitful and wrong. But then his heart would kick in and state he was protecting her; the latter always winning the debate in the end. Sighing, Reno scratched his head and said, "Nothing much, really."

"Really," Amalia bluntly stated. Looking up towards him she repeated, "Nothing? Nothing at all?"

"Alright, let me restate that: nothing too important. But he did mention something…and what was it?" He grinned in Amalia's direction, knowing full well that she wanted to know what was going on. "He did say that Elena was quite bored since Tseng and Rude left on a mission today and wondered if we could stop by. But I told that, well, after all the sex we've been having I wasn't sure if you'd want to leave and – "

Reno wasn't allowed to finish his sentence when a pillow collided directly in his face shutting him up entirely. Amalia had grabbed the pillow from behind her back and chucked it towards Reno, knowing that he was joking but wanted to end his statement. "You're such a jerk! You wouldn't tell your boss all that T.M.I."

"And how would you know?"

"Because you're not _that_ stupid, Reno. And you know that if you spilled the beans about our intimate life in detail, because I know you've had discussions with Rude, that I would ultimately have to kill you."

Grabbing the pillow from his lap, the red-head placed it behind his back and extended his legs to sit on the table. "Damn, you're so graphic, yo."

"Like you're any better." Both turned their eyes towards the other, and in less than a second both were chuckling, knowing full well that they were joking and nothing too serious had been said. "So," Amalia said when she was able to calm down and wipe a tear from her eye. "What was it you wanted to ask me before your boss decided to call?"

_Oh shit_, Reno thought. _Aw fuck, what the hell do I say? What do I do? Dammit, I can't ask her now the moment really is ruined and she deserves something that's fucking special!_ Swallowing the bulge in his throat, Reno stuttered, "Um, well… You see, what I wanted to ask you…I, well…see the thing is…" _The fuck, why can't I talk now?!_

Luckily, Reno was saved when Amalia's phone decided to ring this time, interrupting, once again, what he had to say. But this time, Reno was grateful for the distraction. Plucking the device from her pocket, Amalia answered hers and, without looking at the caller ID, wondered who was calling her. "Hello?"

"_Amalia, it's Tifa_."

"Oh hey Tifa! I never really hear from you, how're you doing?"

"_Um, I'm doing alright, thanks. Hey, I need you to come down towards the bar – both you and Reno. Think you can be here in the next ten minutes_?"

"Uh, yeah sure thing, but what do you need us for?"

"_I-I just need the two of you for something_."

_Wait a second_, Amalia thought. _Tifa doesn't know I'm together with Reno. Then why in the hell would she ask the two of us to head towards the bar?_ Looking up at Reno, her eyes widened slightly and the red-head tilted his head, wondering what was running through his lover's mind. "Tifa…" Amalia said slowly, her brain slowly trying to decipher what Tifa was asking and why. "Why is it you need Reno and me to head towards the bar?"

"_Amalia just be here as soon as you can_." _**CLICK**_.

Glancing at her phone, the blonde realized that Tifa had ended the call instead of answering her question. A sudden wave of angst pierced her heart and she suddenly had to take long, deep breaths in order to remain calm. Shutting the phone, Amalia stared wide-eyed at Reno who reached over and gently touched her hand.

"Amalia? What did Tifa want?"

Shaking her head, Amalia blinked her eyes and looked once more at her phone. "She wants the two of us to head towards the bar – stat."

"Why would she want us at the bar…? Wait…how does she know that you're with me?" Reno sat a straighter as he scooted closer towards Amalia. But the blonde was unresponsive for a few moments, her eyes staring at an invisible object off to the far wall behind Reno.

"They know," she finally whispered.

"Who knows?"

Finally looking again at his face she said, "I don't know who but someone knows about us." Amalia spent the next minute relaying word-for-word the exact conversation she just had with Tifa and by the end, even Reno was questioning what the hell was going on. "I-I don't care that they know I just don't want them to get livid at me, I don't want them to hate me." And although she had tried their best, a tear leaked down the side of her face but Reno caught it with his thumb as he enveloped Amalia into a hug.

Holding her tightly, he kissed the top of her head, understanding what was running through her mind. "It's gonna be ok, babe. Listen, whatever happens, we still have each other. And in the end, isn't that all that matters?"

She weakly nodded. "But, if all my friends know…"

Lifting her chin towards his face, Reno said, "If they were your true friends, they would respect any man you choose. Granted, I know that by being a Turk I've committed sins in the past that I cannot undo. However, they should be able to see that I am taking care of you like any man _should_. If they cannot see that, then they're not very good friends."

"Oh Reno…no, you're right, you're absolutely right. I love my friends but I have made my choice and I know that it's the right one. If they can't accept that…then they can't accept me."

~ oOo ~

_**I absolutely love writing this story but I'm not certain if everyone else likes it. Please, read and review? I still would love to hear what everyone is thinking. What do you guys think will happen next? I'm curious to see what everyone wants to happen in this story!**_

_**Until next time!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_**Phew! This was an interesting chapter to write. I had this entire chapter laid out in my head but once I began to write…it didn't quiet go as I had wanted it to but still. I'm hoping everyone enjoys it!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I own NOTHING related to Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy XII (when it comes to Princess Ashelia's name). All copyrights and ownership belong to the respectable company of Square Enix. I am not creating this story to make money nor am I earning a profit – I simply do this as a hobby because I have a love for writing and this series (and all the other Final Fantasy games for that matter!)**_

~ oOo ~

Although she had already settled the confusion within her brain, Amalia was still struggling with the pain in her heart. She knew that she would always choose Reno but these people were her friends.

_While they might be my friends_, she argued within herself. _It could very well be just Tifa who has discovered that I'm with Reno and wants some answers. Or…maybe Cloud spilled the beans and told her everything since the two are together! No, no Cloud wouldn't do that to me, ; especially with something like this…I trust my brother and he promised to keep this between us. _

Amalia struggled mentally the entire ride over with what was yet to come. She tightly bound her arms around Reno's waist as he sped from the apartment towards Seventh Heaven in less than three minutes. As he pulled up towards the infamous bar, Reno slowed and eventually parked in front of the door. Placing the bike pedal down, he gently grabbed Amalia's hands and loosened them so he could stand; once he was on his feet, he held his hand out for Amalia to take. Before they opened the door together, Reno gently kissed Amalia's lips and whispered, "I'm right by your side. Whatever happens in there, you still have me. I will never abandon you."

Taking a deep breath, Amalia knew she had psyched herself out the entire time. What she had said to Reno before they was true – she honestly didn't care if her friends agreed with her relationship with Reno. But she did care that they respect her decision, that's all that really mattered to her. Hell, she wasn't that fond of Vincent and Yuffie when she found out they were together but she had set aside her feelings of misunderstanding in order for their relationship to grow. And look at them now, married for almost two years with a baby on theway. Amalia stole a quick glance at Reno as they walked towards the door. _I wonder if we'll ever have a life like that. Marriage, a home…kids. Would Reno ever want that? Where does he see in our future together, I wonder?_

And before she could ponder her thought any further, Reno grabbed the handle and opened the door, allowing Amalia to enter first. Deliberately turning her head to watch as Reno closed the door behind him, Amalia didn't want to stare into the bar, not wanting to know who was in there. But once the door close, she was left with no other choice and once she turned her head, she immediately wished she could crawl into bed with Reno and hide forever. Every single member of AVANLACNHE stood before her.

Tifa stood behind the bar, ever working as she cleaned some dishes.

Barret was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs.

Cid stood against the far wall, deeply smoking a cigarette as usual.

Nanaki was curled on the floor beneath Barret's feet with Cait Sith sitting still on his back.

Yuffie, with her pregnant belly, was seated at one of the tables with Vincent standing right behind her.

But as she scanned the people within the bar, Amalia's eyes settled on one distinct blonde who stood in the farthest corner away from everyone else. _Cloud_…

As she continued to stand in her spot, everybody in the room, minus her brother stared her down; the look on each individual was very disdainful. Suddenly, Amalia was fearful to take a step forward but with a gentle nudge in her back from Reno, she took three smalls steps into the center of the bar. Nobody said a single word. Clearing her throat, Amalia looked straight at Tifa. "Hey Tif, I came as fast as I could and called Reno. What did you need us for?"

But Tifa didn't say anything; in fact it was Yuffie to speak first, rather quickly than Amalia had anticipated.

"Oh shut up, _Amalia_." The pregnant ninja slowly stood to her feet, too stubborn to accept the aid of her husband's hands. Once fully on her feet, Yuffie held one hand against her back and the other on her swelling belly. "You have a lot of explaining to do, missy."

Amalia could feel her eyes widen slightly and from behind, Reno eased his hand around her hip, pulling her closer to him. As soon as he entered the bar, the red-head could immediately feel a difference in the vibe and wasn't sure how Amalia was faring. Looking around the room, every single person in the room switched their gaze from Amalia towards himself. Reno could feel a scowl form on his face. Earlier he had tried to calm Amalia down enough so she wouldn't stress herself, but being in the same room with these people who were giving her looks of disdain made Reno want to take her back to the apartment as fast as he could.

But after a few minutes in an awkward silence, Amalia was finally able to find her voice and speak. "What're you talking about, Yuffie?"

"Seriously Amalia, all this time you came off as the intelligent one…but I didn't think you were this dumb."

Reno's body tensed and he tried to take a step forward until Amalia held her hand out, indicating she did not want him to interfere which surprised the red-head. The entire drive over he had felt that she might want help with whatever was bound to happen, but in that instant, he felt she wanted to take things over on her own – at least for now. Talking a step back instead, he could feel Amalia's body trembled and Reno questioned what was running through her head. Before she could say something, Tifa finally spoke up from behind the counter. Placing the glass she was cleaning onto the counter, the fighter took a deep breath and stated, "Amalia, there is something Yuffie told us today that we need you to clarify. We need to hear the truth from you."

"And what is it exactly you would like me to clarify?"

Amalia watched as Tifa opened her mouth to speak but was beaten when Cid roared from the wall he was leaning against. "Dammit girl, Yuffie fuckin' told us that you're fuckin' miss red-head next to ya." Cid's voice echoed across the bar and as Amalia examined the remaining eyes of the people waiting, she could see the same explanation in there's as what Cid had just stated.

"Hey gramps!" It didn't take long before Reno stepped forward, all more than ready to back his girlfriend. Grabbing his arm, Amalia tried to pull him back but to no avail, Reno was determined to put these people in their place. Although what Cid had said held a somewhat 'truth' within it, it thoroughly pissed him off that Cid would bluntly accuse her of something without knowing that full truth. "What gives your old ass the right to accuse her of something like that?"

"Youngster, don' fuckin' start with me!" Stabbing his cigarette into an ash tray on the table closest to him, he pulled another from his back pocket and lit it, taking in a deep drag before finishing his sentence. "Yuffie was the one who called us and told us wha' she saw. Don' fuckin' blame me, red!"

"Yuffie," Amalia said, turning her attention towards her pregnant friend. "What did you see?"

The young ninja took a deep breath as Vincent placed a hand on her shoulder. "Earlier today Vincent and I watched as the two of you, hand-in-hand, came walking out of _Joy's Craft's_ and saw you walking off down the street."

"Umm…" The blonde scratched the back of her head, unsure of how to proceed with the statement Yuffie just gave her. "You saw the two of us walking around together and you're getting mad at me…?"

"Oh, come on, Amalia! Seriously, _you were with Reno_." Yuffie emphasized, taking a few steps towards the blonde. "Reno, of the _Turks_, of all people!"

Any of the people who weren't glancing at Amalia suddenly looked upwards, as well as their mouths – all except for Cloud who still continued to stand off in the distance, away from the current conversation at hand. Standing towards the door of the bar with Reno by her side, Amalia was suddenly sucked into a vortex of people accusing her if what she's done wrong with her life. Placing her fingers against her temples, Amalia rubbed the sudden headache that began pounding on the front lobes of her brain. For what seemed like eternity, the voices echoing inside the room grew until all Amalia could hear was a uniform sound of complaint against her personal life. With an added addition, Reno joined in the conversation of noises and although she wasn't mad at him for wanting to help, Amalia couldn't take it anymore.

"Ok, everybody just _shut the hell up!_"

The silence that fell upon them was louder than anything that had already been stated.

Looking directly into the eyes of every person in the room, other than Cloud, Amalia finally landed on Yuffie. "Yuffie, we have been friends for a long time now…but what gives you the right to see one thing I did and accuse me of another?"

"Well what the hell gives you the right to go behind all of our backs and fuck the guy who tried to kill us while we saved the planet?!"

Taken back from the ninja's statement, Amalia took a step backwards into Reno who, once again, placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. In a low voice she said, "Just because I'm with Reno…makes you think I went behind your back…?"

Barret finally spoke through as he slapped a hand against his forehead. "Cours' ya did, Amalia. Your sleepin' with the enemy."

Placing a hand over her mouth, she was surprised, yet not surprised at the same time, with the things that were being said. She knew they were still considering Reno as part of the enemy, but after the last few years of actually seeing the new Shinra Company, Amalia simply couldn't see certain things the way her friends did. "I can't even believe that each and every one of you still believes that Reno is the enemy."

Yuffie, Cid and Barret exclaimed, _"He's a Turk!"_

"And you wanna know something? I don't give a fuck!" Amalia watched as Yuffie's eyes nearly exploded from their sockets. "You want know the truth? The here's the fucking truth!" Reaching for his hand, Amalia intertwined their fingers and stood on her tip-toes, placing a chaste kiss against her lover's lips. From the rest of the room, she could hear the audible gasps from everyone who was witnessing their 'treachery'. Turning back to the audience, Amalia continued to stand up against the people she felt never truly stood for her. "What Yuffie told you about Reno and me was wrong, we're – "

"How could it be wrong? We all know Reno's a womanizer and is only using you for your body!" Yuffie exclaimed.

"For once, Yuffie, you're stubborn, immature assumptions are wrong and you need to accept the facts," Reno was the one to speak for Amalia. He was growing tired of this farce and wanted to leave with Amalia by his side. "Amalia and I have been together. And when I say together, I mean _together_. As a _couple_. For _four years_."

And at that moment, everyone in the room gasped as Yuffie walked the rest of the way towards Amalia and slapped her right across the face.

As her hand collided with the blonde's cheek, Amalia's head turned sharply as her hand immediately went to the attack point. "You…you just slapped me, Yuffie."

"Damn straight I did! How _dare_ you get together with this…this guy?!"

Turning her head towards her attacker, the blonde lifted her hand and placed it against her reddening cheek. "You know, Yuffie, I've kept my mouth shut for all the shit you've caused in the past. I am completely appalled that this bothers you," she pointed the rest of the group across the room. "And the rest of you in here. How can you all stand here and accuse me of falling in love with someone who treats me the way I finally deserve to be treated?"

"So," Cid chimed in, his voice suddenly calmer than she expected. His eyes were filled with an emotion she was unable to read. "You're tellin' us that you're together with red?"

"What Reno said earlier was the truth – we've been together for four years," Amalia said. But before anyone could say anything against her first statement, she continued. "Yes, you heard me – _four_ _years_. And, no, I have not been hiding this from you but, yes, not one of you even bothered to ask me about _my_ _personal_ _life_. Not a single one of you. We've all talked about every else in this room: Yuffie getting pregnant, Cid and Shera finally getting married, Barret moving to Edge in the next few months. Hell, even Tifa and my brother finally getting together." Amalia took a deep breath, knowing full well that she was on the brink of tears and once they fell, she would not be able to stop them. "But not one of you ever asked what was happening with me. And you know what? I'm ok with that. Because all this time, I've had Reno by my side," Amalia curled her arm around her red-head's waist as he kissed the top of her head, allowing her to finally speaking the truth that plagued her mind. "And if none of you can respect that, then I don't give a damn anymore."

Yuffie continued to speak as well. "So, you're saying that you'd rather choose him over us? Your friends?"

"You know, Yuffie, you shouldn't be giving me any crap about 'friends' because, uh, if I remember correctly…_you_ were the one who claimed to be a part of our group to save the planet only to steal all of our materia!"

"Oh please, you're still holding a grudge against that?!"

"No, I'm not. But you're being a hypocrite – all of you are! You claim Reno is part of the enemy. Well tough shit because he's not. In the past four years I've been with Reno, I first hand have seen all the improvements Shinra has made. Also, if I remember correctly, the Turks tried to help us several times in the past as well, their most notable being when Sephiroth came back two years ago."

"I cannot believe you would turn against us, Amalia," Yuffie said.

"So…it's perfectly ok for Yuffie to marry a Turk but it's wrong for me to date one?"

"Hey!" Yuffie pointed her finger directly in Amalia's face. "Don't you _dare_ bring my husband into this. You know damn well that Vincent is an ex-Turk. He was on our side from the very beginning."

"Yes, Vincent is an ex-Turk and Reno still works for them. But does it fucking matter?! What Shinra and the Turks do now is nothing related to what they were known for years ago – they've changed and I've witnessed it!"

"Girl, they be lying to you," Barret said.

"How could you be this – "

"She's not lying." A voice that hadn't been heard since Amalia arrived finally spoke. Turning around from his spot in the corner of the room, Cloud turned towards the rest of the crowd, finally using his words to end this catastrophic nonsense. "I've seen it as well; the Turks are not what they used to be. Amalia is right."

The three people who had been speaking the most, Yuffie, Cid and Barret remained flabbergasted. They could not believe that Cloud of all people would stand up and defend Reno of the Turks. "Everyone here is missing the bigger picture – my sister has finally found someone she is truly happy with. I've seen the way Reno treats her." From across the bar, Cloud and Reno shared a glance and within that moment, both males finally came to a non-verbal understanding. "You guys are misjudging the man before you get to know him."

The crowd remained silent for some time, soaking in the information Cloud had just provided. Should they believe what he had just said or go off of what they had initially thought? Reno squeezed Amalia's hand, ensuring her that he was still there and that nothing more was bound to happen. That is, until Yuffie decided to speak up again.

"So where the hell are you going to live?"

Amalia was taken back. She did not expect to hear such a sentence being spoken to her; especially from a little pregnant ninja named Yuffie, who, in which, Amalia didn't even live with. "E-excuse me…? Where will I live…?"

"That's right, you heard me. After everything that's been exchanged today, it's clear that Tifa would no longer want you to live in her bar if you choose that man," Yuffie pointed her finger at Reno. "Over us."

Tifa was finally able to find her own voice as well, her eyes pleading with Amalia's. "Hey now, I never said something like that."

"Tifa, you wouldn't want this liar living with you – she's dating a Turk!" Tifa wasn't sure what to say. It had never crossed her mind to kick Amalia out. Sure, she wasn't all _that_ happy to discover that one of her closest friends was in a relationship with an enemy from her past. But Tifa could recognize something that stubborn Yuffie wasn't able to see; Reno was an enemy from their _past_ and if Amalia could see a difference in him than Tifa wanted to try as well. She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't find the right words to describe what she was thinking.

"She'll live with me."

All heads turned towards Reno who turned his gaze directly at the only person in the room who mattered; Amalia. Her eyes were wide as saucers and although this wasn't how he wanted the night to go, Reno couldn't help but feel that this was the best question to ask her at this moment in time. "Amalia, move in with me."

She blinked a couple times, a state of shock written across her face. "W-what did you just say…?" She whispered.

Pulling her close to his body, Reno tipped her chin towards his face. "I want you to move in with me. You practically live there as is and…I wouldn't want anything else."

"Yes," she said quickly. "I'll gladly move in with you."

But to ruin their moment, Yuffie spoke once more. "Well then good riddance! Ugly Reno can keep you 'cause none of us want you here!"

Amalia's mouth fell open yet again, but shut it and held on tightly to Reno's hand, for without it, she might have fallen straight to the floor and cried in that very moment. But her older brother Cloud came to her rescue as he walked towards the couple, his anger gradually rising at the harmful words that were being said to her. When he was close, he spoke loud enough for only the two to hear. "Amalia, is this what you want?" She nodded. "Then be safe." Turning towards Reno he said, "_Keep her safe_. You have my number if you guys need me and I'll let you know once these guys cool down."

Letting go of Reno's hand, Amalia hugged her brother and said, "Thank you. I'll come by later to get the rest of my things."

"I'll make sure Yuffie doesn't destroy anything."

This made Amalia smile. "Thanks, Cloud."

And now it was Reno's turn to step in as he looked Cloud straight into the eye. "I never thought you'd ever stick up for me."

Cloud patted the red-head's shoulder and with a small smile on his face he said, "Trust me, we'll talk later. Just call when you're ready."

Reno nodded, assuming that Cloud knew what he had been thinking earlier that, while gently tugging Amalia's hand. "Hey, let's get the hell out of here and go home. _Our_ home," he added when he finally saw a true smile spread across her face. She nodded and he grabbed the door handle, allowing Amalia to step forward first. But before she could take a single step out of the bar, she turned back towards the one who started this all.

"Yuffie, I have a few words to say to you."

"Well, I don't wanna listen to a traitor like you."

"Tch, that's fine, you never listen to anyone anyway you stubborn bitch." Behind her, Reno snickered and turned his head before he could fully laugh. "In the last few years that I have known you, you've done some crazy shit and I've always had your back, never saying a word despite what I truly thought. And the one time you discover something about me, you inevitably freak out and throw me under the bus, claiming I'm a traitor."

"Well you are!"

She had enough – there was no way she was going to get through to her pregnant friend. "Yuffie, shut the fuck up! Seriously, for once in your life, grow up! You fell in love with the person who's the father of your child. Am I not allowed that? Am I not allowed the same happiness you were granted? If not, then look around, kiddo, because I don't go slapping people around because they don't match the vision I have in my head." Looking back at Reno, a smiled formed once again on her head. "Whether you like it or not, I'm in love with this man and in the future if you cannot see that he has changed, then I don't want you in my life anymore." And with that, both Reno and Amalia left. As they neared _Shiva_, they straddled the bike and took off into the distance. Reno wanted to say something towards his lover but he knew she needed this time to think of what happened. Although he felt they needed to talk, Reno would allow her the time she needed.

Back inside the bar, the atmosphere had completely dropped from simply being awkward to one of stone cold silence. Cloud casually walked back towards his usual bar stool, ignoring the looks from the people within the bar, especially the death glare he was currently receiving from Yuffie. As he resumed his seat, Tifa handed him a cold bottle of beer, which he downed in several gulps. Turning around in his chair, he stared straight into the eyes of a furious ninja.

"Cloud, you of all people, were taking Reno's side?!"

He stayed quiet for a moment. "You know why I took his side?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Because I trust my sister and I am appalled that none of you do. Out of all of us in this room, Ashe is the only one who can truly determine a whether a person has changed or not." Holding the bridge of his nose, Cloud sighed. "I agree with what my sister said and if none of you can trust her then just get the hell out of here." Jumping off the stool, Cloud, walking right passed everyone, bound up the stairs towards his bedroom and closed the door, leaving everyone downstairs confused.

Taking a deep breath and braving the silence the fell over Cloud's departure, Tifa spoke and in her motherly voice, advised the rest of the group. "I think…it's time everyone left. " Staring at the other female in the group she added, "Yuffie, I think you went a little too far with this one."

"But Tifa!"

"No buts, Yuffie. Amalia was right – you were given a happiness that, at first, some of us weren't all too sure about. But when she decided to find a happiness that, as far as I can see, finally makes her cheerful, you have to tear it down." Walking away from behind the counter, she turned one last time before heading upstairs to speak with Cloud. "I think all of you need to consider what has happened tonight and look back on what Cloud has said. Is Amalia truly a traitor as Yuffie claims or are we the traitors to Amalia?"

~ oOo ~

As soon as they had left Seventh Heaven, Reno raced through Edge wanting to be rid of the people he had been surrounded for the last hour. Sitting behind him and tightly embraced her arms around his waist, Amalia had yet to say a word. Not sure what she was thinking or where she wanted to go, Reno simply drove around Edge, but once he realized the speed he was currently at, he had made his way towards the outskirts of the city. Driving around the city several times, the red-head decided that they needed some alone time; but that alone time included being away from people in the city.

Leaving the area he had just arrived to, Reno circled and completed a one-eighty, turning in the same direction he had just come from. He wanted Amalia to feel safe and secure and at that moment, Reno didn't think she could handle any people. So, deciding he wanted to take her to one of her favorite spots in the area, the red-head arrived upon a cliff overlooking the city he had just left. Turning the engine off, Reno continued to sit on the bike, hoping that Amalia would realize that they stopped and that –

"Reno…? Where do you drive off to?" He heard Amalia whisper behind him and realized that her sentences sounded slightly slurred.

"Did you decide to fall asleep?" He asked.

"Not really. I closed my eyes and am leaning against your back so I can't really talk."

_So that's why she wasn't really saying anything_, Reno thought.

Amalia leaned back away from Reno and as she opened her eyes, she realized they were residing by the cliff – Zack's cliff. "What made you decide to bring us here?"

"Thought you might like some silence; away from people in Edge. Also, I thought it might be the best place where we can talk about what's happened." Throwing her leg over the bike and standing, Amalia walked off towards the edge of the cliff and sat down, letting her legs dangle off the side of the rock. Reno soon joined her and the two truly sat in silence for a few minutes.

As the couple looked across the afternoon sky, they noticed the sun slowly lowered in the sky, not quite close to nightfall but no longer residing as the afternoon. Not sure where to start their conversation, Amalia grabbed Reno's hand in hers and squeezed. She breathed deeply, unsure of how to feel despite the fact that she had basically been abandoned by her friends simply because she had found a happiness she had never justly felt before.

_I guess this is what I deserve after all_, the blonde mentally lectured herself. _I did in fact hide my relationship with Reno from everybody, but…was I actually hiding it? Or was what I told Elena a few days ago the truth? That I went along with my life and if my friends found out that I wouldn't care? Dammit, I am so confused. I don't even know what to believe anymore_. She took a deep breath and every now and then, clutched their hands tighter. _In the end, does that all matter? My love for Reno has never once faltered and neither has my judgement about Shinra or the Turks. I guess…if I lose my friends from AVALANCHE I could live, I have made new friends at Shinra, surprisingly_.

Before she could mentally converse with herself any longer, Amalia was sidetracked when Reno began to speak for the first time since arriving. "Hey, are you blaming yourself at all, for any of this?"

"Umm…not exactly. More like questioning whether this is my just reward for hiding our relationship."

Reno turned his head towards her and she continued to stare ahead. "And do you really believe any of that?"

She chuckled to herself. "Honestly? I'm not entirely sure. I'm trying to tell myself that it doesn't matter since my love for you is strong and true. But I guess I'm slightly guilty that there might be a part of me that did want to hide the fact we're together."

It was Reno's turn to sigh as he looked back across the cliff. "If we're both being honest here then…I was perfectly ok with you keeping our relationship a secret."

"What? Really?" Now it was Amalia's turn to gawk at the red-head. "All this time you were seriously ok with that?"

"Well why not? I'm aware of the type of person I was and who I have connections with. Look, Amalia, does that all really matter now? After the last couple hours we've had, I personally think we're in a better place. Everyone knows and now we can resume our lives _without_ having to worry about someone discovering us and causing a dramatic scene – because that already happened and so it's out of the way."

Reno was awarded with Amalia genuinely laughing now. Wrapping an arm around her he pulled her close as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Reno…did you really mean what you asked me back at the bar? That you want me to move in?"

"Of course I did. Do you doubt me now?"

"No, not at all! I'm sorry I guess…I'm still slightly in a state of shock. My friends have basically deserted me because I have a difference in opinion then they do…I guess I'm just scared that you only said that to prove a point towards everyone."

"No," Reno whispered, understanding her meaning. "I was being serious. Amalia Strife, I want you to move in with me." Pulling her away from his shoulder, Reno cupped her cheek, wanting her to know that he was being sincere and honest. "I honestly wish it didn't have to come to this with your friends but…I think this was meant to be. Please, Amalia, move in with me. At least, move in the rest of your stuff because, if I remember correctly, you stated that you have more clothing at my apartment that you do at yours."

"Reno, I'm sorry. I never wanted to doubt you but, once again, yes, I'll move in with you." She leaned forward and kissed her red-head as he slid his hand behind the back of her head. The mouths linked in unison as Reno pushed his tongue forward, granted access as Amalia opened her mouth and their tongues collided. Placing his hand on her lower back, Reno pulled Amalia as close as he could, wanting more of her than he was allowed to take in that particular moment and when a sudden bulge appeared in his nether regions, he pushed back and abruptly stood from the ground. Holding his hand for Amalia to take, which she did, he pulled her up as well and crashed her body into his.

"Do you think we should finish this back at our place…?"

Amalia smiled even more as she stood on her tip-toes and whispered into his ear, "Then you better race home."

Within a few seconds, Reno had magically placed Amalia into her spot on _Shiva_ and was racing back down the path towards Edge. It had been maybe an hour since Reno had originally left Seventh Heaven and in that time, he and Amalia had agreed that there was nothing they could do about her friends. They had their opinion and she had hers. But Reno couldn't shake the feeling that there was more he could do.

Which brought his memory back to earlier in the day when he was about to ask his lover a very serious question.

Looking back, Reno, personally, was glad Rufus had called at the moment he did. Although the red-head was going to ask Amalia for her hand, Reno now felt that it was better that she he didn't. With her friends treating her as if she was a traitor, Amalia had enough on her plate as is, especially with the nonsense that was happening back at Shinra Headquarters, though she was still unaware of what was occurring. As he drove back into the city, Reno sucked in a deep breath and gently blew it out. Earlier, Rude's voice had echoed through Reno's mind, asking when he was finally going to marry Amalia and it still was; the red-head was unable to shake the question from his head.

_I can't simple ask her now. No. The best thing right now is to move in together – take our new relationship one step at a time. Once all this nonsense with her friends calms down I think I'll do it then. She needs to be able to breathe knowing that she doesn't technically need to hide our relationship anymore. She can now be free and open that we're together. _

Turning his head slightly towards the female clutching her arms around his waist, Reno smiled, knowing that she wouldn't leave him. Amalia would stay with him forever. And for Reno, that meant he had enough time to think about when to ask Amalia and how. For now, Reno was content with simply living with her. He didn't want to rush anything – this was all new to Amalia just as much as it was new to him.

And Reno was unquestionably certain that he didn't want to screw up the chance to finally achieve the happiness he sought to deserve.

~ oOo ~

_**All along I had wanted to place a chapter in here that had nothing but verbal fighting and I hope I achieved what I wanted. I tried my hardest to ensure that everyone stayed within character but I might've gone a little OOC with a few such as Cloud and Yuffie. Sorry – I'm not a big fan of Yuffie so I personally wanted to portray her as someone who is still slightly immature. But that's just me!**_

_**Please read and review, I would love to hear what everybody thought of this chapter!**_

_**Chocobocolina ~ out! :3**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**I am so sorry for the long wait! For those who have seen (or read) I've also been working on a Skyrim story as well. The game was a gift for my birthday last year and I became **_**obsessed**_** and I suddenly wanted to create a story based off of my character I made in game. So that's one reason why I haven't updated, the second would be I've been suffering from major's writer's block with this story. I have an outline of how I want the story to go, but putting a few sentences into a whole chapter was driving me insane. I had this chapter "done" for a while but something wasn't right, but now I finally have it complete! So please enjoy, and I am sorry for the long wait…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything – if I did, my life would be much more interesting. I only own any OC's that I created.**

~ oOo ~

"Oh, Reno…"

Cradled intimately on their bed, Amalia held Reno within her arms as he plowed her with a pleasure she had only recently begun to understand. Every thrust, every breath sent the blonde over the edge; she could feel the red-head's muscles clench as he physically displayed the love he unequivocally held for her.

The couple had enjoyed a simple, quite ride back the outskirts of Edge all the way towards _their_ apartment, but once inside, Reno lunged at her and attacked with his mouth, pinning her against the door the moment it closed. Amalia had equally accepted the onslaught of kisses with her own, exploring Reno's face, chin, and lips, eventually traveling down towards his neck. But Reno didn't linger long within the living room. Grabbing his lover's hips, he pulled her upwards as she wrapped her luscious legs around his waist. Amalia continued her onslaught of kisses against his neck while Reno raced upstairs and threw them onto the bed.

Within the several minutes that passed by, Reno had rid both Amalia and himself of all clothing and immediately plunged a finger deep inside of her, already expecting her to be ready for him. Once he pulled out, Amalia had her hips slightly raised as he grabbed her waist and plunged within her. Amalia threw her head backwards and sighed, already missing the feeling of her lover within her. Repeatedly she called Reno's name, urging him to continue the powerful passion he had brought upon her body. And as the minutes increased since the beginning of their lovemaking, so did the pressure within the deep depths of her womanhood. Arching his hips, allowing Reno a deeper thrust, Amalia began to moan, the succulent sounds echoing across their bedroom.

Reno could immediately tell she was close, he could feel her body tighten and tense each time he thrusted into her. Leaning down, he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her lips towards his. Capturing her tongue in his mouth, the two waged war, both wanting to win and both wanting to succumb towards the other. With each kiss, Reno thrust harder, faster and the moment Amalia moved her hips against his own, meeting the same pace, she exploded. Thrusting her head backwards into the pillows, she screamed towards the heavens as Reno straightened his back and quickened his pace even more. Thrusting four more times, the red-head collapsed against Amalia, the pressure of his own release succumbing him to an overwhelming pleasure he was sure to never grow tired of. Reno lay there, sensing how Amalia's tight walls milked him of his own orgasm with everything she had. After a few seconds, Reno tried to pull out but Amalia intertwined her arms around his neck and pulled Reno towards her lips. She moaned into his mouth before pulling away, a bright, beautiful smile spread across her face.

Pulling away from her loving grasp, Reno collided against the bed, immediately wrapping his arms around Amalia and pulled her towards him. Her bare skin against his made Reno moan out loud, the member between his legs already reviving itself for another round. Although Reno wasn't sure if Amalia was ready, he settled with placing his head on top of hers and kissing her temple. Resting his eyes for a brief second, he was unaware that his lover twisted within his arms and was now facing him, her hand already trailing down his chest, across the beating heart still bounding beneath the skin. With his face scrunching together in pleasure with

eyes closed in ecstasy, Reno knew where this was going and by the time he opened his eyes, Amalia had already wrapped her hand around his member and was pumping him while kissing his bare neck.

"So…" he breathed, unsure of when they were going to get some rest. _Not that I care, I could love Amalia all night and not get a shit about how much sleep I should get_. "Is this how you want to spend the rest of the night…?"

She quickly nodded in response. "This is our bedroom now…I want you to show me how much you love and want me here."

"Ohhhh angel, that might take a while…" Reno responded, currently concentrating on breathing.

Her lips left his neck as they made their way back towards his lips. Casting a chaste kiss against his mouth, she looked straight into his eyes and whispered, "We have all night..."

Reno growled and, by her arms, pulled Amalia above him. As she straddled him, it was his turn to cast his lips upon her neck, and as Amalia's moans grew within their bedroom, Reno couldn't help but smile. He loved everything about this woman and she knew how to please him without even trying. His length hardened through their minimal conversation and as he grabbed her hips, Reno guided Amalia back down on his hard member, wanting her to take the lead and show him what she could do.

Looking into his eyes, Amalia could see the wicked grin across his face. "This is what you want…?"

"Oh hell yes it is my – _holy mother fucking Gaia_!" As he was speaking, Amalia pulled her hips back and instantaneously slammed down onto Reno, causing his mind to wander as his eyes and mouth opened. Eternal bliss was the instant gratification Amalia granted upon Reno – yet the moment was not over. She continued her personal onslaught against him over and over, wanting him to be the one yield first instead of her.

In that moment, Reno couldn't believe that this was his woman – the one he loved, the one who loved him and the one he ultimately wanted to ask for her hand in marriage. For the first time in his life, Reno felt complete, whole, _needed_ and _wanted_. He stared into the mix-matched eyes of the woman who was making love to him and he smiled. He softly grabbed hold of her cheeks and brought herself down upon his lips for the thousandth time. At first he kissed her gently, but as their kisses grew, so did the intensity. And when she wasn't paying attention, Reno flipped over the bed, wrapping Amalia's legs around his waist as he held her back against the bed and filled her with an ecstasy she wasn't going to forget.

As each craved the other, their love grew as their hearts continuously joined as one. When one session ended, another would begin and it wasn't until late into the night when both collapsed in each other's arms, spent and tired, but tingled gloriously with a loving sensation of pleasure and warmth. As their eye began to close, both whispered _I love you_ towards the other before finally drifting off into a peaceful sleep where restlessness and nightmares didn't exist.

~ oOo ~

"So, are we going to try and have the lazy day we were _supposed_ to have yesterday?"

"I'm hoping we have one in the future, yo. Remember? We were gonna go visit Elena today at Healen?"

"Ohhh yeah, that's right. Poor girl must be going bored out of her mind. Especially since Tseng and Rude left yesterday."

"Rufus said the same thing when he called yesterday."

Amalia and Reno were sitting at the breakfast table in the kitchen eating leftovers from pasta night a day earlier. The two had spent each other's energy the night before and neither was willing to get up until almost noon and by the time they were dressed and ready, it was almost one. Taking a bite of the reheated food, Amalia couldn't help but giggle as she remembered every single detail about yesterday, including the fight with her friends. At that moment, she didn't care – she had Reno with her and, frankly, that's all she cared about. In the depths of her heart, however, she secretly wished in the future that her friends and Reno could act their age and get along, but Amalia felt that was pretty farfetched to happen anytime soon.

But she still hoped.

Taking a bite, Reno said with a mouth full, "Wha' you gigglin' 'bout?"

She smiled. "Just what we did last night."

Looking up from his plate the red-head raised an eyebrow. "You're giggling about that?" Reno noticed that Amalia's cheeks reddened slightly and he couldn't help but smile. "We did it a lot, didn't we?"

"Oh yeah we did. I wonder how long I'll stay this sore."

"No, stay sore, I want you to remember what I did to you." Winking in her direction, it was Reno's turn to laugh. But as he did so, Amalia reached across the table and slapped his arm.

"You are so dirty, Reno!"

"I know, yo! Ain't it great?" Reno quickly noticed Amalia's smile faltered and he grabbed her hand across the table and squeezed. "Seriously though, are you ok with everything that's happened?"

"I…well, I'm not going to lie and say it was a cake walk to listen to what my friends had to say but…it'll get better. I think they'll cool off their heads once some time has passed. And who knows, maybe everything will turn out alright in the future."

Reno squeezed her hand again. "You really believe that?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she said weakly, "I'd like to think so, yes." Taking the last few bites of her meal, she grabbed her plate and stood, walking over towards the sink and rinsing the plate off. "You done with yours?" She asked Reno. He ate the last of what was left on his plate and stood, handing the dish to the blonde who cleaned it off and stuck it in the dishwater. He could tell everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours was bothering her; Amalia's breathing was off, shoulders were tense and her eyes looked as if they were ready to burst.

Grabbing her shoulder and turning her around, Reno looked directly into her eyes and asked, "Are you _sure_ you're ok? Something seems up babe."

She sighed. "No, I'm really bothered by what Yuffie told me. And the fact that she slapped me hasn't really helped…" Amalia gently touched her cheek, a visible hand print still clear as day; her skin purple from the bruise that had formed over the course of the night. When she needed too, Yuffie sure did know how to bitch slap. "I can talk to Elena once we get there."

"You ready to leave then?" She nodded. "Then let's go."

The ride over to Healen didn't take nearly as long as it had for Amalia the day Reno had returned from his month-long mission. There was nobody on the road so Reno sped as fast as he desired. With his red mane of hair flapping in the air, Amalia squeezed her arms around his waist and smiled into his back; she loved to see the wild side of Reno when he decided to let go. Reno was driving so fast that Amalia thought she had merely blinked a few times and they were already at their destination.

As Reno drove through the curves of the mountain road, he slowed his speed and Amalia pulled back, looking around at the peaceful surroundings. She wondered if her life would ever be peaceful outside of the world she and Reno resided in. Looking back at the day before, she had never meant to hurt anyone's feelings, only that she wanted to fix her own. Sometimes she had felt utterly abandoned by her friends because it seemed they cared about everyone else but her. When Reno entered her life, it was a whirlwind of difference than what she was used to because the red-head actually paid attention to her and _only_ her. Reno always asked what was new within her life, her likes, dislikes. He actually wanted to know about _her_ and for Amalia, it was quite a change considering her friends never truly asked about her opinions or beliefs. Reno thus became an outlet for Amalia to open up and define who she was. At first, it had been awkward considering who Reno was but she destroyed the wall that blocked her from getting to understand Reno and before Amalia knew it, she had fallen for red-head and he for her.

Once she realized Reno had slowed the bike, Amalia straightened her back and glanced around, clearing her mind so she could focus. Reno had guided _Shiva_ towards the front steps of Healen and she hadn't even realized they were this close to their destination. Standing from the bike, the two walked up the ramp and Reno opened the door, allowing Amalia to walk in first. Closing the door, Reno noticed nobody was in the room so he walked towards the door that led to the rest of the building and clicked a button on the pad near the handle along the wall. The gadget dinged and crackled before a voice was heard on the intercom.

"_Reno, is that you?_" It was Rufus on the other end and Amalia had to guess that he was probably in Elena's room or somewhere else within the complex.

"Yes sir, both me and Amalia just arrived. Where are you in the complex?"

"_In Elena's room, please, come join us_."

Reno released the button for the intercom and opened the door. Amalia walked down into the hallway towards Elena's room and once she was close, knocked, then entered when she heard someone say "Come in". Inside, Elena was still on the hospital bed and Rufus stood beside her, both speaking softly towards each other but turned towards the door as it opened.

"Good afternoon you two," Rufus stated and nodded in Reno's direction.

"Sir," was all Reno said as he nodded in response.

"Hi Rufus. How're you doing today?"

"I'm doing pretty good. And yourself? I heard you were attacked the other day, everything ok?"

This made Amalia smile. Her heart warmed whenever Rufus asked about her personally about it health, it truly showed how his sincerity had transformed over the last several years. "Oh I'm perfectly fine now, my brother helped me with what happened, all is good now."

"Good, I am glad to hear that."

"Amalia!"

Looking behind Rufus, Amalia smiled and walked towards Elena, still wrapped with a cast on her leg but now her arm was lightly bandaged and had escaped the sling. "Elena, you still doing ok?"

The other blonde smiled a toothy grin. "Better than ever!"

But Amalia could tell something was off. "You're growing bored out of your mind, aren't you?"

"Sooooo fucking bored! This is getting ridiculous. Sir, it's been what? Only a few days?" Elena said as she stared at Rufus.

"Yes, something like that," Rufus replied, moving out of Amalia's way and stood next to Reno who continued to stay beside the door.

"Amalia it's too much! Tseng and Rude left yesterday and Rufus only visits me when he has time." She glanced over Amalia's shoulder and glared at her boss. "Which hasn't been a whole lot!"

"I have things on my plate right now."

This piqued Amalia's curiosity. "Oh?" She turned towards the President. "Is everything alright?"

Rufus gulped, not sure what to say but he knew he had to lie. "Everything's fine. Just some people North Corel have been causing some trouble at the old Mako Reactor, that's where Tseng and Rude left too."

The blonde raised an eyebrow, now sure how to feel about this. "And what are they supposed to do to the people in North Corel?"

_Oh Rufus you did it now_, Reno thought. _You created a lie in which made Amalia mad. How're you gonna get out of this?_

"Their orders are to speak with the townspeople to see what's bothering them. They are then to report back to me so we can try and come to an understanding." For a moment Amalia said nothing. She considered Rufus' words carefully, but eventually nodded her, accepting the President's answer. Rufus sighed and his shoulders sagged before he quickly regained his posture.

"Just make sure the people of North Corel aren't hurt, ok? Can you promise me that?"

Rufus nodded, silently thanking Gaia that she believed him and then immediately regretted that he was lying to her. He knew it was for the best and as Rufus quickly stole a glance at Reno, he felt saddened by the fact that Reno still had to go along with this; even though the order to lie came directly from _his_ mouth. "Trust me, Amalia, I can promise you that the people of North Corel will not suffer any form of violence against them."

Amalia smiled and glanced at Reno, happy with the progress the employees of Shinra were making. Despite what had been said to her yesterday, she was proud of these people and that they had all formed some sort of relationship within her life. Reno gave a small smile in her direction before finally saying, "Well, how about Rufus and I leave you two along so you can talk?"

"Aww, but Reno! You're more than welcome to stay in here and chat with us!" Elena chimed in, desperately seeking any company she could acquire.

"I'll come back and we'll talk, but Rufus needs to update me with the current mission so I'm not completely out of the loop, yo." Elena stuck her tongue out at the red-head before turning her head away.

"Fine be that way."

"Fine I will be that way."

"Damn, you two are bickering like children!" Amalia scolded her friend and boyfriend but failed to withhold the laugh forming within her chest as it escaped from her lips. Both Elena and Reno looked questionably at her before she said, "Sorry, but you two are cute when you bicker!"

"Oh, well thank you," Elena said as she flicked a section of hair over her shoulder. "I know I'm cute."

"Not as cute as my girl, yo."

"Oh you're just saying that because she's in the room!" Elena again stuck her tongue out but followed Amalia's example and giggled.

It was time for Rufus to speak which he did. "Alright, you two. Amalia's right – you two do bicker like children."

Reno and Elena both pointed at each other before saying at the same time, "I didn't do anything!"

Rufus sighed. "I've been headache free for a couple of days and the moment you two are reunited is when they return. Amalia, I'm stealing Reno away, we'll be back soon."

"Ok, _sir_." She giggled as she tried to imitate Reno's voice but with no luck. Her voice slightly cracked and this earned a laugh from both Elena and Reno. Rufus tried to hold back as well, but a soft chuckle escaped his lips before he walked towards the door.

Reno followed his boss and looked at the two blondes before he left. "Alright ladies, don't cause any trouble before we return."

"Oh we wouldn't dream of causing any trouble, Reno." Elena said.

"Ashe wouldn't but you might, Elena." Looking at his lover, he said, "I'll be back."

"I know. I'm not going anywhere."

"Ok. Use the intercom if either of you need anything."

"Yes _dad_," Elena snickered. Reno smiled and shook his head before he walked out the door and closed it behind him, leaving the two laughing girls to their selves. As soon as the door shut, Elena grabbed Amalia's hand and pulled her close. Grabbing a chair, she sat down next to the bed and awaited the bombardment of questions she was about to receive from Elena. "Girl you have stuff to say, I can see it in your eyes. Spill. _Now_."

Amalia heaved a sigh, not knowing where to start. "So much has happened since I last saw you. Anything specific you want me to mention?"

"Hell yes! Girl I want the dirty details!"

"Ohhh, that's what you want? Damn you seriously are desperate."

Elena ran a hand through her now long blonde hair, this time heaving a sigh before speaking. "You have no idea. Because materia won't heal my leg, the doctor gave me orders that I can't do anything too strenuous on my leg. And that includes sex."

"What? Seriously?" Elena nodded. "Whoa, so that means, you and Tseng haven't…at all?"

"Not in almost two weeks."

"Why so long?!"

"Amalia you're the one who hasn't had sex at all, do you really have the right to criticize that Tseng and I haven't…" But Elena finished her sentenced when she noticed the sudden flushed cheeks and averted gaze of her friend. "_No_. Don't tell me. Did you and Reno…?" Amalia nodded and her friend screamed long, and loud enough, to withstand an echo within the room. Almost immediately the intercom buzzed and Amalia stood from her seat to answer.

"Yes?"

"_Yo, Amalia, everything ok in there?_"

"Yeah, everything's fine, why?"

"_Rufus and I heard screaming. Was that you?_"

"No that was Elena."

"_Does she need any more_ _medication?_" It was Rufus who asked this time.

"No she's just being weird. It's nothing, don't worry about it. Wait, you could hear her?"

"_The walls aren't that thick. Besides, we're right down the hall_."

"Oh, well I'll tell her to be quiet then."

"_Yes please baby, keep her in check_."

"Can do, Turky." Releasing the button, Amalia returned back to her seat to find Elena frozen with her mouth agape and her eyes wide. "Hey, Reno said to be quiet."

"Agh! I don't care what Reno has to say! You fucking did it, didn't you?!"

Embarrassed, Amalia nodded and softly said, "Yes."

"Oh my god this is fantastic! You have to tell me everything!"

"Wait, hell no! Elena you finish your story!"

The blonde heaved a sigh, knowing her friend had a point. "_Ok-so-since-we-were-on-a-month-long-mission-we-rarely-ever-stayed-at-an-inn-and-once-we-did-Tseng-and-I-always-shared-a-room-and-the-last-time-we-did-the-business-was-one-week-before-we-came-home-and-since-it's-been-almost-a-week-since-we-came-back-we-haven't-had-sex-since-then-and-I-am-seriously-going-crazy-I-need-some-action-and-I-can't-getting-any-it's-driving-me-insane_!" Taking several deep breaths, considering she had stammered everything into one sentence, Elena finally said in a slower tone, "Ok, now it's your turn."

So, Amalia spent the next several minutes covering what had happened between her and Reno and how they came to be sexually. Not wanting to dwell too much on when she had been injured, she skipped over that part and began when she had first arrived home. She even explained her true feelings as to why she hadn't pursued Reno sexually for the last four years. By the time she had finished explaining how many times they made love last night, both blondes were blushing profusely.

After a few awkward moments of silence, Elena finally said, "Oh my god…" She held a hand over her heart. "That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard."

"You think?" Amalia questioned her friend's response.

Her friend nodded enthusiastically. "Think about it this way: how many people do you know have been in a relationship nearly as long as you and Reno, haven't had sex yet still loved each other? Neither one wanting to end the entire relationship over something like sex?" When Amalia didn't say anything, Elena nodded her head. "Exactly. The story you have with Reno is special and the love you two share is very, very rare." Looking down at her hands, Elena also said, "I respect and admire the two of you."

Amalia was shocked to hear this. "Really? You do?"

"Of course I do. I've been lucky enough to witness your love grow into something magical. But you wanna know a secret?" Amalia nodded. "I think Reno might ask you to marry him."

"What?! No, you're crazy. We both know Reno's not the marrying type."

"Yeah, maybe in the past, but this is the present where he's with a girl he _actually_ cares about and would do anything for her. Do you really doubt that he won't ask you?"

"It's not that I doubt it I just…never thought I'd have the chance to marry anyone."

"And now you have Reno."

"Who, just yesterday, asked me to move in with him." Elena's eyes widened once more and she opened her mouth once more but Amalia jumped to her feet and covered it with her hand. The blonde still screamed but Amalia's hand muffled the noise and after a few seconds, she pulled away and sat back down. "No way. No _freakin'_ way – he asked you to move in with him?!"

"You're seriously enjoying everything that's happening in my life, aren't you?"

"Oh come on Amalia I'm dying of boredom in this place. Besides you're my best friend and I deserve to know everything that's happened. And since you're also in a relationship with one of my co-workers, I have an even bigger right to know what's happening between you two."

"Well, as sweet as this gesture was coming from Reno, it came at an awkward time."

"How so? Oh, I bet he asked you right in the middle of a love session."

"Trust me I would have preferred that scenario over what happened." Elena raised an eyebrow in confusion and Amalia heavily sighed. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Everyone knows."

"Everyone knows?" Elena repeated and Amalia nodded. The blonde thought hard for a few seconds before it finally clicked in her head. "Oh my god they_ know_. When you say everyone, is that seriously everyone?"

"Yes. Tifa, Barret, Cid, Yuffie, Vincent, Nanaki and Cait Sith. Even Cloud but that's another completely different story, but trust me. The moment Cloud found out is better than when the rest of the group did."

"I can only imagine. So what happened?"

"Well, in a nutshell, Reno and I went shopping so I could buy more yarn to finish the baby outfit I'm working on for Yuffie. Apparently when we were walking home, Yuffie saw the two of us holding hands and freaked, calling everyone to meet at the bar. Once we got home, I got a call from Tifa asking if Reno and I could head over to the bar because she wanted to ask us something."

"Wait, hold up…how did she know you were with Reno?"

"I didn't know at the time, but the group was there so Yuffie must've told her. So, we headed over there and as we walked in, I was basically bombarded with insults about how I'm "sleeping with the enemy" or that Reno is "brainwashing me" and other shit like that." Amalia dropped her head into her hands. "It was a nightmare. I swear…I didn't keep this away from everyone just to piss them off…"

"Amalia…" The blonde looked towards the other blonde. "You were only searching for your happiness. You didn't tell your friends because you didn't want them to ruin the only happiness you've ever truly felt. Am I right?" Amalia stared blankly at her friend, but eventually nodded when the realization finally hit home. "I think your reason is understandable. But what happened next?"

"Basically Yuffie called me a traitor and, although she didn't directly come out and say it, she made me feel like a slut, that Reno was only using me for my body because of his lustful past." Elena gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, it gets better. When I admitted that Reno and I were a couple and had been for several years, Yuffie slapped me. And I mean she full on bitch slapped me. Look." Turning her head, Amalia allowed Elena to look at the right side of her face, the hand print still clearly visible and a small bruise that had formed last night stretched across the skin.

"She fucking _hit_ you?!"

"Yep. Oh! And then she flat out told me I was kicked out and couldn't live in the bar anymore."

"Please tell me Tifa finally spoke up."

"She did. She said that the thought never crossed her mind and that she wouldn't do such a thing. Which I believe, it just…hurt that Yuffie thinks she has the right to do what she did. And that's when Reno flat out told everyone that I'd live with him and then he asked me, so I said yes."

"Awww."

"Wait…what, really?"

"Oh come on Amalia! If the entire female population in the world knew what kind of man you have they would try to murder you. Reno treats you so sweetly, he would do anything for you. That man is in love with you and he will never leave you."

"You know, thinking back on the last four years and the fear I had, I felt foolish for thinking the things I did."

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I think you have full right to feel that way. I haven't been with Tseng nearly as long as you and Reno, but the thought still scares me that he might up and leave one day. I think it's a natural fear within women and I think it's even scarier when it's your first, serious relationship. Think about it – Reno is your first boyfriend and he's your first longest relationship."

"He'll be my only relationship."

"So…" Elena raised an eyebrow and stared at her friend, wanting to know if she was hearing her correctly. "Are you saying that if Reno dropped down on one knee today and proposed…you would say yes?"

With her face blushing a deep red, Amalia quickly replied, "In a heartbeat."

~ oOo ~

"Seriously, Reno? You're going to ask Amalia to marry you?"

Reno nodded in response. After they had left Elena's room, they walked down the hall towards the front lobby when the red-head took his normal seat on the couch and Rufus leaned against his desk. "The other day Rude and I went out drinking and he questioned when I was gonna ask her since we've been together for so long."

"So…you only want to ask her because Rude said something?"

"No, that's not it at all. I've had this thought probing my head for months but I was never too sure whether I was ready for it or if she was. With all my heart I want to marry Amalia…I guess what Rude told me finally kicked in my brain that I need to make her mine before something happens." Reno looked up at his boss. "But, with what happened yesterday, I don't want to add any pressure and make it seem like I'm only asking her to spite her friends. And that's why I asked her to move in. It's not marriage but…it's a start, yo."

"No, I think you made the smart choice, Reno. But how long will you wait?"

"I'm not sure. The more I think about it the more I want to ask for Cloud's permission."

"But Cloud's her brother."

"Yes, I know that, yo."

"Um, usually you ask the father."

"Both their parents died years ago. Cloud's the only family she has."

"Oh, wait that's right… Well then yes, I think asking Cloud is a good thing to do."

Reno laughed. "Thanks, sir, wish I had thought of that on my own."

"Are you hoping things will cool down with her friends first before talking to Cloud?" 

"That was my plan, yes. Also, with the recent attacks on Amalia, I wanted to ensure that we've been able to control the situation before asking her."

Rufus sighed. "I'm sorry, Reno, but there's no official way to guarantee her complete safety. These attacks came completely out of nowhere and none of us expected it to happen."

"So what do you think I should do?"

Rufus thought for a moment before answering. "I think you should wait and see how living together works out – which I think you'll be fine anyways. After that, talk to Cloud and once you have his blessing, go from there."

The red-head ran a hand through his hair, his mind ablaze with worries he wished would just leave him alone. He was consistently worried over the safety of Amalia and now he wasn't sure what was bound to happen since her friends basically kicked her out of their lives. Growling into his hand, Reno looked towards his boss for guidance, although he was pretty sure Rufus had already said the best advice that he could give.

"We're doing the best that we can, Reno." Rufus' voice entered Reno's mind, distracting him from the constant worries that plagued his thoughts. "All of us here are doing what we can to figure out what is going on and why these people are after Amalia. Even Elena's helping, despite her current condition. She literally drags herself out of the hospital bed to search through the minimal evidence that we have." His boss stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Though it may seem you're all alone in this endeavor, you're not. You have all of us back here to aid you."

Tilting his head down Reno chuckled. He truly appreciated the words Rufus has relayed to him, but despite the truth, he sure did feel alone. All his coworkers truly wanted to see the safety of Amalia, but none of them were in a relationship with her – none of them loved her like he did. But still, he couldn't tell his boss what he was truly thinking. Biting his tongue, he turned his face back towards his boss and provided a small smile. Despite what he was honestly feeling, he was still very grateful for everything his friends were trying to do. "So," Reno said, filling the suddenly quiet room with noise. "Fill me in on where Tseng and Rude left too yesterday."

"Oh, yes," Rufus said, turning towards his desk. Taking a seat, he awakened his computer and searched through several files, namely a secret, locked file that was designed specifically to hold all information about the investigation on the people after Amalia. All the Turks had the same file linked together on their own computers back at the main office in Edge.

Searching through the document, Rufus clicked on a specific file he was looking for and turned the monitor towards Reno so he could see. "Remember when you came in a few days ago and we had received the newest video file?"

Reno physically shuddered at the memory. He couldn't rid his mind of the sound of the man's voice within the video. Just thinking about what the man had said physically made Reno sick. The red-head could not comprehend why anyone was after Amalia. Had she done something in her past that she hadn't told him? Was it someone she had met in SOLDIER and he wanted her back? Was it someone she knew when she had lived in Nibelheim?

Wait…Nibelheim…

_Nibelheim!_

"Sir!" Reno's voice was sharp and direct as he called his boss towards attention.

Rufus' ears perked towards the Turk. "Yes, Reno?" 

"Tseng and Rude…where exactly did you send them, sir?"

Without looking at the file, Rufus automatically replied, "Nibelheim. Why do you ask?"

"It just occurred to me…could the person that's been causing all this trouble…could he potentially be from Nibelheim? Could he have known Amalia when both she and her brother lived there as children?"

"Hmm," Rufus considered the logical sense of Reno's statement. Searching through his computer once again, he pulled up a document containing the mission status the fellow Turks had been sent to take care of. "Now that you mention that, Reno, that is a possibility. Why did you mention that in the first place?"

"I just started to think about the recent video and why the man might be after Amalia. The only thing I could really think of was that he either knew her from SOLDIER or from her childhood town. Or, it could even potentially be both."

"That is a good speculation. The reason I sent Tseng and Rude to Nibelheim was because of this. Take a look." Turning the screen once more towards Reno, the red-head looked and raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was looking at. Splayed across the screen was a puzzle of different letters and numbers and occasionally a few symbols. Even though Reno wasn't the brightest when it came to computer technology, he was aware that the letters and numbers were arranged in a specific way, indicating their level of importance.

"Uh…care to explain what I'm looking at?"

"Obviously you can see that this long list resembles that of a code. Tseng uncovered this code from the video that was sent us the other day."

Reno scratched his head, still unsure of what his boss was trying to say. "Ok, so…what's the code for, then?"

Rufus smiled. "Location."

"Location?"

"That's right. Tseng spent hours dissecting the video and once he found this code, it took him even longer to decipher it's meaning, especially since it was an encrypted code." Rufus glanced at Reno, who face indicated that he was confused. "You following?"

"So far so good."

"Good. In the end, this long ass code basically tells us where the email containing this link was sent from."

"And the location of where the video was sent from is…?"

"Nibelheim."

Rufus paused and once again looked at the red-head who held the bridge of his nose. "So, what you're telling me…in this long ass code," Reno pointed his finger at the screen. "Explains where the video was sent from? Then that means it tells us where that bastard is!"

"Exactly. And this code states that the email the link was attached too was sent from an approximate location near Nibelheim. Once Tseng told me about his discovery, I immediately sent him and Rude to investigate if there was anything…different occurring in the infamous town."

"So far this is the best lead that we have."

"That and including what you just mentioned. When you leave, I'll run a search through the database of any people who had lived in Nibelheim and if they had any former, or current, employment history with Shinra." As he glanced at the computer, Rufus also added, "And whether they're still alive or not…"

Reno looked towards his boss who was intently looking at the glowing screen. "Do you really think the two are connected?"

"It _is_ a possibility. But I guess the next question that needs to be asked is _why_ he's after her and _what_ for? Has Amalia ever mentioned to you anyone in her past that might somehow have a grudge against her?"

"Not that I can recall. But I honestly doubt it. She doesn't have the personality to piss someone off; she's too sweet, she would try to fix any situation than to leave and let it fester."

"Yes, that is true. She really is a pure-hearted soul, isn't she?"

This made Reno smile. "I love to think so, yes. And I told her that once but she didn't believe me. She thinks she's committed just as evil sins as I have."

"She really thinks that?" Reno nodded. "Hmm, I still believe what I said. For her to openly admit that means that she does have a pure soul; one in which her honesty shines above everything else. That's a rare trait to have these days, it seems."

Looking curiously over at his boss, Reno suddenly had a thought course through his mind, and before he knew it, the question had left his lips and he couldn't take it back. "Sir, are you in love with Amalia…?"

Leaning back in his chair, Rufus stared at the Second-in-Command Turk he had known for years. "Did you seriously just ask me what I think you just did?"

"Think about it. Some of the things you say about her are kinda conspicuous."

Rufus looked away for a few moments before finally turning his attention back to Reno. "I will admit I do have some feelings for Amalia but it's not what you think."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Should I be concerned?"

Rufus shook his head. "No. Reno, believe me when I say that I do not love Amalia, at least, not in the way that you do. I will always have a fondness for her in my heart, but it's more out of gratitude and appreciation than pure love."

"Is it because she saved your life?" Reno thought back to over four years ago, not long before he and Amalia began their relationship. It had only been about a week or so after the Meteor incident on Midgar and the Lifestream had risen from the earth to defend itself. Rufus had been severely injured when the Diamond Weapon attacked the Shinra HQ, leaving the Turks to dig through all the rubble only to find their boss barely alive and barely conscious. Reno and the other Turks had taken him towards a camp they had established in the spot Healen was to be built in the future. All the Turks had done their best to care for their boss who, day by day, was slowly falling into the hands of death, his wounds never healing, only becoming worse. Tseng had asked if there was anyone they could trust to take care of the situation and Reno was the first to admit that he knew someone.

And that's when he called Amalia.

The blonde and the red-head had met several times during the journey to stop Sephiroth from destroying the planet. There was one moment in Kalm when they had suddenly bumped into each other when Meteor was close to striking Midgar. Neither had known the other was there but they figured they would have a drink and toasted to, hopefully, surviving the attack. They spent all night talking and drinking, both admitting their fears and what they would miss if they didn't survive the inevitable death. It wasn't until early morning when the first rays of sunlight were pouring over the mountains that Amalia admitted she wished she had the chance to know Reno better. It was at that moment she had given the red-head her number and stated that if they both survived the attack to call her if he needed anything.

And when his boss was in dire need of help, he had called Amalia and knew that she was the only one who could help because of her uncanny ability to use Mastered Materia; and he knew she held a Master Cure on her. Although, when he had called her, she wasn't too happy to hear that he had called in hopes she would help to save his boss. But, nonetheless, she had obliged and spent most of her time over the next few weeks gradually healing him and helping him towards a healthy recovery.

Looking up towards his boss, he saw Rufus nod his head in agreement. "During the attack…I honestly thought I was going to die. But Amalia, despite everything I had done to the planet and her friends, she still decided to help me recover through all my injuries. I will forever be in her debt and…I never want to see anything happen to that woman. Reno," Rufus leaned forward against his desk, resting his elbows on the flatness of the table. "Don't you dare lose her; I have never met anyone like her in all my years and with everything she's been through, she deserves to live a happy life and I believe you can give that to her, Reno."

"Well…I certainly am trying my best, sir."

"And I think she can see that too. Don't worry Reno – Amalia is all yours, I have no intention to take her from you. My only wish is to protect her to the best of my abilities since she is the reason I am here today."

Deep down, Reno felt a small amount of relief being lifted from his heart knowing Rufus wasn't after his girlfriend. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel admired by the man who was seated in front of him. Sitting before him was not the same man he had known several years ago, but Reno was still proud to say that he worked for such a man who cared for someone for someone so deeply.

Though he was still thankful Rufus wasn't in love with Amalia.

"So…ummm…"

"Yes, right, where were we?" Rufus sat straighter and clicked through a few more files on his computer. "Tseng sent me an email last night stating that he and Rude haven't found anything significant as of yet, but they're ordered to stay there for at least three more days unless I tell them to come back. Hopefully they'll be able to find something before they return."

"Rufus…I'm wondering something. Would Tseng be able to look through the other few videos links we were sent to see if there was another location code to see where it was sent from?"

"You know, Rude actually had the same thought and after he discovered the first one, Tseng looked through the others but wasn't able to come up with anything. I came to the conclusion that either the guy we're looking for was someone careless when he sent the latest video – which I somehow doubt – or he purposely allowed the location link to be discovered."

"And why do you think he would've purposely done it?"

"I have several theories to answer that. The first would be maybe that he's tired of trying to take Amalia on his own and wants us to find him, hoping Amalia will be with you. Second – and this is a little different than the first – he wants to be found so only you guys will go after him, leaving Amalia "vulnerable" while she's left behind. And thirdly, it could be all part of his scheme to allow us to find the location code in the recent video than from the ones he sent in the past."

"I don't like any of those theories, sir," Reno bluntly stated.

"Trust me, Reno, I didn't like thinking of said theories. But we need to start thinking critically so we can be one step ahead of this mastermind before he becomes two steps ahead of us."

"So what do we do now, sir?"

Leaning back in his chair, Rufus ran a hand through his white-blonde hair. "We wait and see if Tseng sends us any valuable information."

"Do you think he will?"

"I can only speculate, Reno. Anything could happen while the two of them are there. I only hope for the best, obviously."

Reno sighed and returned to his usual seat on the couch. Leaning back against the leather he outstretched his legs and sighed once more. Not sure where to look, the red-head glared at the ceiling as if it could solve all the problems probing his mind in that instant. After several long moments of utter silence, Reno was the one to finally break the void. "I hope nothing horrendous comes out of all this."

"What do you mean?"

Leaning forward, Reno rested his elbows on his knees, hanging his head forward, the long mane of hair falling forward as well. "My only wish is that, if something were to happen to Amalia, that she isn't injured at all."

"I know, Reno, I wish that as well."

"Well…I guess there's no sense dwelling on something in the future." Yawning, Reno once again laid back against the couch, resting his arms above his head as he closed his eyes. The room once again fell quiet other than the gentle tapping of Rufus' fingers against the keyboard. Reno breathed in deeply, organizing the thoughts that were running rampage within his own mind. He was trying to understand everything he had learned and was trying to see if there were any missing links that hadn't been discovered yet. But from what he could tell, there wasn't any and the thought depressed Reno. He wished there was more he could do but the best place for him was right next to Amalia, ensuring her safety as he stayed by her side.

But Reno's thoughts were interrupted when he could hear the soft clicking noise of a door from down the hall.

Opening his eyes Reno said, "Sir, you might want to close that folder."

"Why?"

"Because we're about to have company." And Reno was right. Just as he had finished his statement, Rufus immediately closed the confidential folder as the object of discussion walked through the doorway.

"Hey guys," Amalia said, with a bright smile on her face. "Everything all right down here? You guys are quiet."

"We don't have an Elena to scream every time she hears some new juicy gossip," Reno stated as he stood and walked towards her, placing a chaste kiss against her cheek.

"Hey now, she only screamed once." She blinked several times. "Ok, maybe twice if you count the time I held my hand over her mouth to keep her quiet."

"See? Told you." She lightly swatted his arm.

"Amalia." The blonde turned toward Rufus. "Is everything ok with Elena? How she feeling?"

"She's doing ok. But I could tell she was getting tired so I said my goodbyes so she could get some sleep. Rufus? Do you know why the materia won't heal her leg?"

"I'm not sure, Amalia, and neither do the doctors. Tseng believes it might have something to do with the creature that attacked her arm. He thinks there must have been some type of poison to stop the effects of materia."

"Are you guys using any Master Cure materia?"

Rufus shook his head. "No. Do you have any idea how hard it is to use Master materia?" But Amalia narrowed her eyes and bluntly stared at him. A drop of sweat rolled down Rufus' neck and he awkwardly chuckled. "Right, sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a second."

"Well that's just rude."

"Sorry. But no, to answer your question, we don't. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think it would be ok if I brought my own materia to try and help? I feel really bad for Elena, especially since it's only a broken leg and nothing _too_ serious. Besides, it doesn't hurt to try since that seems to be the only thing that hasn't been tried." Amalia turned towards Reno to see if he approved and she smiled when he nodded and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Not at all, Amalia, I think that is an excellent idea. When do you plan on stopping by?"

"Well…considering she's out cold right now, would tomorrow morning be ok?"

"I think that's fine."

"Then it's settled! We'll be back in the morning and I'll have Elena healed in no time!" She smiled once more and Reno gently squeezed her small frame towards his muscular body. Reno couldn't feel any prouder of Amalia than at that current moment. No matter the time or day, she was always thinking of others before herself and always wanted to find ways to help. Reno shared a quick glance at his boss and immediately thought back to their earlier conversation.

"_**Don't you dare lose her."**_ Reno remembered Rufus telling him earlier.

_I won't lose her, Rufus. I would be a fool if I let this woman leave my life._

As if she could tell what he was thinking, Amalia turned towards the red-head and stood on her toes to gently place a kiss against his cheek. Despite everything that he and his boss had discussed earlier, no worries plagued his mind in that instant. The only thing that mattered was the beautiful creature that stood next to him. Saying their quick goodbyes and that they'd be back in the morning, Reno grabbed Amalia's hand and gently pulled her outside towards _Shiva_. In that moment, Reno suddenly wanted to take Amalia home and demonstrate the love he held for her in raw physical form.

~ oOo ~

**I'm hoping that's what people have been waiting for. I can't promise the next time I'll be able to update; all I ask is that you please be patient. Working and taking a full load of Graduate courses can be really tiresome but I promise I'll finish :)**

**Chocobocolina :3**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

_**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**_

**Umm…I don't even think an apology would be enough considering I have posted chapters for my Skyrim story. But I am really sorry! I have a long outline for this story but it takes me longer to write it and I'm not sure why. But fear not, I have not given up! I hope this was a chapter people were expecting. If there are grammatical mistakes, I apologize, I wanted to get this chapter posted as quickly as possible. Please enjoy!**

**And thanks to everyone who keeps reading, I appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing! All credits go to Square Enix!**

~ oOo ~

_I swear…now that I live with Reno I'll never have a proper night of sleep again!_

As promised, early the next morning Reno and Amalia were already on their way back towards Healen, Amalia's Master Cure stored within her arm, ready for use upon their arrival. As she sat behind Reno and wrapped her arms around his waist, her body tensed every time he drove the bike and dipped from a sudden bump or bounced from an obstruction in the road; her body was still feeling the effects from last night. As soon as they had arrived home, just as the other day, the couple had immediately attacked each other in a fight for dominance. Their lips clashed, their chests touched and their hearts soared. Although they didn't make love as many times as they had the night before, these few sessions held more passion, more need. Amalia was concerned that she wouldn't be able to last but each time they began again, she surprised herself by proving she could. By the time she fell asleep, she was spent and sated but relaxed beyond belief and when she awoke, she could tell that the after effects would last throughout the day.

Although it did bother her physically, ironically, she didn't mind.

Reno was currently driving the same speed as he did the day before, ensuring that they would reach Healen soon. Although Elena wasn't in any serious or traumatizing pain, Reno knew that Amalia wanted to get there as soon as possible. He chuckled in the wind, knowing that his girlfriend was possibly the best person in the world, always putting people ahead of her than worrying about herself.

Glancing ahead of the road, he noticed they were nearing their location, but something in the pit of his stomach gave him an unsettling feeling. Pushing the unwanted sensation aside, he began decreasing the speed of the bike; but as he did so, Reno noticed something blur at the edge of his vision and he barely had enough time to swerve the bike before a pair of daggers almost collided with the side of his face. Behind him, Amalia squealed at the sudden change in direction as she tightened her grip around Reno's waist. Holding the handlebars in a deathtrap, Reno turned the bike, narrowly avoiding the deadly onslaught of a sudden attack. Stalling where the bike curled in the dirt, Reno glanced around to see where the attack came from; he glanced at the daggers stuck in the ground and based on the angle in which they were stuck, the red-head turned his head and followed the direction at which they were thrown. Looking off into the distance, Reno saw four figures clad in black kneeling alongside the cliff.

Amalia could feel the muscles along Reno's back tighten and she loosened her grip, using her eyesight to search the surrounding area. It took her a minute before she followed Reno's gaze to the figures off in the distance. Leaning towards Reno's ear Amalia whispered, "Reno, what's going on?"

"I think…" Reno tried to think of what to say without losing sight of the people before him. "They're the ones who attacked us."

"Oh fuck…not this again. Seriously, what are they trying to get?" Amalia stated, her voice hinted with a tone of annoyance and anger.

_Oh Amalia, if only I could tell you everything…_

Reno wasn't sure what to do, but he knew he had to do something. Should he call Rufus for back-up? Should he head straight into combat? He couldn't even think straight; his brain was trying to decide what the best decision to go with was. But when Reno though he was coming to a decision, the daggers still stack in the ground suddenly began to wobble and move; within a few seconds, they flew from the ground and raced back towards their owner who suddenly stood from his crouched position and grabbed the weapons as they neared his hands.

"Give Amalia to us!" The same man yelled into the wind, sending the hairs on Reno's arms to stand in irritation.

In response, Reno gunned _Shiva's_ engines, deciding the best thing to do was to run towards Healen to try and escape before anything lethal could happen. Turning his head, he yelled towards Amalia, "Hold on tight!" Immediately Amalia rewrapped her arms around his waist as Reno rammed the accelerator and turned the bike towards the trail which led to Healen, hoping he could speed past them and hide the bike as they sought refuge with Rufus and Elena.

But as Reno drove the bike towards the mountain trail, he wasn't expecting four figures to jump off from their standing point and landed directly in front of the bike. Unable to maneuver the bike out of their way, Reno turned the handlebars, hoping he would hit all four of them with the side of the bike. Instead, the tires lost their traction and slid on rocks along the road, skidding across the dirt, flinging both Reno and Amalia off as _Shiva_ skidded off into the distance. Both landed with a thud against the hard ground, with Reno on his back and Amalia on her side. Reno stood first and ran the few feet towards Amalia that separated them. He grabbed her arms and gently pulled Amalia to her feet; he then noticed a small gash ran along her temple down to her cheek, a stream of blood gently trailing down a dropping onto her shirt. He gently touched the side of her face and she winced; swiftly grabbing her hand, Reno turned to see that they were surrounded by the same people who had caused the crash.

Holding her close to his side, Reno swiveled his head back and forth. All figures were male, all wore black and all held the same expression on their face; one in which they held a desire to capture live prey.

The one who had thrown the daggers was the same man who had first attacked Amalia the other day. Taking a step forward, he said, "Reno of the Turks. It's good to see you, despite our last encounter."

Reno growled within his throat and tightened his grip on Amalia's hand. "_Drop. Dead_," he said through clenched teeth.

The man laughed manically and an unsettling shiver coursed through Amalia's veins. She knew deep within her that she could defeat this evil person. But for some reason, every time she was around him, she couldn't seem to pull all of her energy into her moves. Even as she stood there, she could feel that something with her body was off. _Is he pulling some kind of trick?_ She asked herself. _Or is it because I haven't truly fought any enemies in a while?_

"Tsk, tsk, _Reno_. Now that isn't very nice of you."

"Does it look like I give a damn?!"

The man frowned, and retraced his steps backwards. "Looks like you need to be taught some manners. But before we get there, hand over Amalia, if you please."

"And what makes you think I'd willingly hand her over?" Reno's back stiffened. It was four against two, yet Amalia was the strongest, he knew that for sure. But as he stole a quick glance behind him, he mentally cursed; he had not thought of reminding Amalia to bring her EMR and cursed again when he realized he didn't have his either. Groaning, Reno realized that her blades were in the bike, which had skidded to a stop fifty feet away from where they stood.

_Fuck…we're screwed._

"And why won't you give my sweet to us?"

"For one, she is not your sweet and will _never_ be your sweet. Second, I would never willingly give her to you. I'd rather die than see you get your grimy little hands on her."

"Hmm," the man tapped an index finger against his chin, deep in thought over the red-head's proclamation. "I think that can be arranged."

And before Reno could say anything, the man holding the daggers burst forward and slashed the weapon at the red-head. Amalia, quick on her feet, jumped backwards and pulled Reno with her, the dagger barely missing his cheek once again. But the group of four was also quick on their feet and bounded their way towards the couple, but in an instant, two jumped into the air and landed behind Amalia. The blonde tried to move away but the two figures each grabbed an arm and pulled her back.

"Reno!" She yelled, struggling against the tightening grip of those who were holding her. Wondering why she couldn't get away, she suddenly felt a sharp prick in her skin and looked at her arm. The figures were each wearing gloves with claws attached and each were digging deeper into her arm as tiny rivers of blood trickled down onto the dirt.

Reno turned around and once he saw Amalia's predicament he yelled, "Ashe!" But as he took a step forward to her aid, someone grabbed the back of his shirt and threw the red-head backwards, skidding across the dirt, Reno hissed as he tried to stand quickly, but a sudden rush of blood to his head had him kneeling back down, slowly breathing as his vision once again became clear. Off in the distance he could see Amalia struggling against those who held her – but that's all they did. As he once again tried to stand, the man he assumed to be the leader appeared before him and held one of his sharp daggers against Reno's throat, ensuring he continued to kneel on the ground.

"You're very persistent, aren't you?" The man sneered.

"Of course I'm fucking persistent! You're trying to kill my girlfriend but I won't let any one of you touch her!"

The man raised an eyebrow as a laugh escaped from his lips. "Is that what you think?"

Reno narrowed his eyes at the man. "Why else would you fucking attack her and _hurt_ _her_?!" he said through gritted teeth.

The man leaned down towards Reno's face and whispered, "Just watch and see," as he moved off to the side so the red-head could have a clear few of his girlfriend several years away.

Although she was still struggling, the two figures gripping her arms had managed to force her into a kneeling position. From where he knelt, Reno could see blood continue to trickle from the gash along her face, as well as new markings on her arms. The figure on her left held his free hand over her mouth, silencing the blonde from screaming or saying anything. But Reno could tell Amalia was still fighting; she had always been a fighter and nothing was going to stop her from freeing herself from the clutches of the enemy. Not caring about the dagger that was still pointed against his throat, Reno yelled at the top of his lungs, "_Amalia!_"

From across the distance, Amalia quit squirming and looked straight into the red-head's eyes. Neither knew what was about to happen but Reno could tell that Amalia was thinking the worse. The way her eyes were opened and slightly glossy as tears began to crystallize.

_She thinks we're going to die_, Reno thought.

The red-head wanted to take action, he wanted to run towards Amalia and scoop her into her arms so no one could do any more physical, or mental, damage. But each time he made to move, the man shoved the dagger deeper into his throat, and after a few attempts, Reno felt his own blood flow down his neck. Not knowing what to do, he used his eyes to search for an answer. But when none came up, he looked again to Amalia who was no longer looking at him, but was looking at the fourth figure who disappeared at the start of the fight. Narrowing his eyes, Reno looked to see what was in the man's hand, but as his vision stabled and he could see, the red-head's eyes widened when he realized it was a syringe.

_A…syringe…? What the fuck are they gonna do with a syringe?!_

All Reno could do was watch from the sidelines and as the man stepped closer towards Amalia, time seemed to slow. All the red-head could see was the needle and the fear stretched across Amalia's face. As the man continued forward, the blonde continued to squirm, desperately wanting to get away, but the other two figures had a death grip on her; the more she moved, the more their claws dug into her arms, the skin covered in streaks of blood. But Amalia wasn't about to give up. Moving her face side-to-side, she gradually opened her mouth and once a few of the fingers of the figure to her right were in place, she lurched forward and clenched her teeth as tightly as she could.

From where he was, Reno could see Amalia's tactics and smiled, despite their current situation. _That's my girl_, he thought.

Amalia continued to clench her teeth, sinking the bone into the skin of her prisoner until she could hear him vaguely yelling in the background. The moment she felt the cold, metallic taste of blood drip onto her tongue she let go and immediately released a blood-curling scream. Looking directly in the eyes of the man holding the syringe, she screamed, "What do you _want_ with me?!"

The figure smiled as he pulled the needle closer to his body, ready for impact. "Revenge," was all he said, before he surged forward and gouged the syringe into the blonde's neck. Amalia's eyes widened on impact, not sure what the hell was going on and from across the way, she could hear Reno scream her name, shouting venomous curses to the people holding them at their will. But as a few seconds passed, her body, at first, began to tingle from whatever substance was within the syringe. Once all the liquid was extracted from the needle, the man pulled back and knelt down in front of her. "How do you feel now, _princess_?"

Growling, Amalia tried to move her arms, but it wasn't the claws still attached to her skin that stopped her, it was the burning sensation that began to spread throughout her body. Her eyes immediately closed as her muscles began to spasm. Tilting her head, she screamed towards the heavens, the sound filled with an unimaginable agony. Fighting through the pain, she continued to try and remove herself from the grasp of the other two men, but as the fire spread from her neck, down into her arms, chest, stomach and finally her legs, she couldn't move any longer. The pain was too unbearable that all she could do was scream until tears unwillingly streamed down her face.

A few minutes passed before her screaming began to fade, her throat too hoarse to try and construct any more noise. Gradually opening her eyes, despite the pain, she noticed through blurred vision that the man who induced her with the unknown toxin was still kneeling before her. "Did that hurt, princess?" But because her voice was hoarse, Amalia couldn't give a reply. Closing her eyes once more to the pain, she tried to understand the conversation that was occurring around her, but an overwhelming sense of darkness was calling her name.

"Did it work?"

"Yes, she'll be out for the next few hours from the pain, but this is exactly what he asked for."

"So are we to take her with us?"

One of the figures laughed. "No, not yet. She's to remain here."

"But what's the point in all that? Why not just take her with us?"

"Because those were the Master's…"

But Amalia could hear no more; she tried to refrain herself from succumbing to the darkness, but an endless sleep was calling her name and that's exactly what she wanted to do. As she fell into a pit of nothingness, her head fell forward and those who were holding her looked to the third figure. As he nodded his head, they each released their death-grip on her arms as she tumbled to the ground, her lifeless body not moving a single inch.

"Amalia! Amalia, wake up! Dammit, _wake up_!" Reno's eyes were bulging from their sockets, not able to believe what he was seeing. Amalia had screamed bloody murder, he could physically feel her pain and it simply crushed his heart that he couldn't do a damn thing about it. _She's not moving. Why the fuck isn't she moving? Please, Amalia, please…you can't be d-…no…you just can't be. You cannot leave me here!_ Turning his head to the side, despite the knife continuing to slice at his skin, Reno growled, "Fucking let me go!" But the red-head didn't give the man any chance to answer. Reno grabbed the figure's hand holding the dagger and, with all his might, bent it backwards, the bone breaking in two as the man screamed and backed off. Seizing the knife that fell from his hand and standing, Reno stood in a fighting position. The three figures who stood around Amalia's body turned and ran towards their leader, who gently cradled his broken wrist.

Reno pointed the dagger at their leader. "Leave, _now_."

"What makes you think we weren't going to leave, Reno?" One of the men sneered.

"I don't give a fuck," Reno growled as he gradually sidestepped his way towards Amalia. "Just leave us the fuck alone, you've done enough."

The man who worked as the leader laughed hysterically. Turning towards the other men, they all nodded their heads as they each took several steps backwards. "As you wish, Reno of the Turks – but know this: we will return. Whether you or the Savior is aware of it, we will return for what the Master wants. And the Master always gets what he wants." And before Reno could question their motives, just as the leader had done several days prior, each figure began to dissipate and eventually disappeared into thin air. Reno continued to hold his guard and waited a few moments, scanning the entire area, watching for any sudden movements and waiting to see if they were finally gone.

Once Reno felt the area was safe, he immediately disregarded the knife and sprinted towards Amalia. Skidding across the dirt, his hands fell to her shoulders as he gently turned her body over so they were face-to-face. Other than a blood trail leaking from her mouth, Amalia seemed to be at peace. Moving two fingers down to her neck, the red-head searched for a pulse and after a few minutes of probing, he finally found it, and although it was very weak, it was still there. Reno's breath caught in his throat as he could feel the sting of tears desperately wanting to fall. _No, goddammit…I will not cry! To cry means that Amalia has…no, she's still alive and I'll do everything in my power to save her!_

Gently placing Amalia back onto the ground, Reno stood and ran to grab _Shiva_ from where it had skidded off to. Remembering to grab the knife he dropped, Reno made his way back over to Amalia where he cradled her against his chest as he straddled the seat. Quickly pulling his phone out, he dialed the person he truly needed to speak to in that instance.

"_Hello, Reno, how – "_

"There's no time for formalities, Rufus! We've got a situation here! Amalia and I were both attacked on our way to see you and she needs medical attention right away!"

"_Reno, are you serious? How bad is she?"_

"A few cuts and bruises but this time they injected some…substance into her and she's unconscious along with a very weak heartbeat. We're right at the base of the mountain; I'm headed your way now!"

"_Good. I'll assemble the doctors and they can take care of her once you get here."_

Reno hung up the phone and tossed it into the compartment. Gunning the bike with all its power, the red-head sped up the trail as quickly as he was able to. Glancing down at Amalia, he couldn't tell what was wrong. Her face looked to be relaxed but there was sweat forming along her brow and her skin seemed to lose a bit of color as the seconds passed by. Pressing the gas even more, Reno couldn't think – he didn't want to think of what they had done to her. All he could do was hold her as he sped his way to Healen, the only place with doctors who could have a chance at saving her.

~ oOo ~

"Reno, you heard the doctors, you can't go in there!"

"And _why not_, sir? I need to be in there with her!"

"And now I'm saying you _can't_! Let the doctors be – they'll take care of Amalia, I promise."

Now residing within Healen, Reno and Rufus stood outside the door that led into Amalia's room where several of Rufus' best doctors were in there with her, trying to determine what she was injected it and how it would affect her. But Reno wasn't appreciative of the fact that he couldn't be in there with her. At first he argued, then agreed to wait outside. But as the minutes ticked by and an hour soon passed, the red-head simply couldn't take it anymore. He had barged towards the door leading into the exam room until Rufus grasped his shoulder, preventing him to go any further.

"Rufus…" the red-head turned towards his boss, his eyes weakened by the current emotional state he was in. "I need to see how she's doing."

His boss sighed. "I understand, Reno, trust me I do. But this is important, not only to help Amalia, but also towards our investigation. We need to give the doctors their space in order to conduct their tests and to do everything they possibly can to find what they injected her with. Come," pulling his shoulder back towards his office, Rufus guided Reno down the hallway back towards his office where they each sat on the couch. "So, is there anything else that happened?"

"No, Rufus," Reno held the bridge of his nose, unsure of what to think or feel. His body felt numb, but on the inside, everything was on fire, as if everything was molten lava coursing through his body. Once he had arrived at Healen, Reno was met with Rufus who had several doctors trailing his tail. The doctors placed Amalia onto a stretcher and wheeled her off to the exam room and that was where they had stayed. It hadn't taken every ounce within Reno's body not to shove the doctors away when they placed their hands upon her skin. After seeing the people touch her beautiful skin, the thought of any man having physical contact with her suddenly made him ill. Amalia was lying unconcscious with bruises, cuts and whatever she was injected with – all Reno had was simple bandage wrapped around his throat from the cut of the knife. "I've told you everything that has happened, from beginning to end. The only thing that might be useful is the knife they left behind."

"Yes," Rufus nodded. "That is a vital piece of evidence. I'm hoping we'll be able to find several fingerprints from the handle."

"Let's hope it's not compromised because I was holding it."

Rufus turned towards the Turk. "Well…it's understandable why."

But Reno growled and covered his face with his hands. "God I can't believe I was so stupid that I didn't even think about bringing my weapon. I just…Rufus I felt so helpless. There was probably more that I could've done but…I didn't know if they would do anything else to Ashe if I tried to intervene. Time just…it was as if time froze and my body couldn't do anything."

The two men stayed quiet for several moments; Reno was trying to calm his nerves while Rufus was thinking of what happened. Eventually, Rufus finally broke the silence, wanting to bring his Second-in-Command back towards his normal self, but even Rufus knew that was impossible unless Amalia was by his side. He knew she was the best woman to be in Reno's life, but a small part of the Shinra President was nervous that the couple were _too close_ together and questioned if that was their weakness. Brushing that thought aside, he said, "Listen, I honestly think you chose the best decision." Reno immediately turned his head towards his boss but Rufus spoke before he could say anything. "Just hear me out: we still don't know the complete plan these guys have with Amalia. So for you to stand off on the sidelines, we're able to see what they possibly want."

"_Rufus_! Think of the condition Amalia is in right now!"

"Yes Reno I am aware of that! But if you had done something, they might've taken action the next time Amalia would be alone, in which they could have caused her more agony or they could've something completely different than what they did today. And if they did the latter, Amalia's life could've been in more danger than it is now."

Reno took a few minutes to soak in his boss' words. They held a truth within them that Reno didn't want to accept, but he forced himself to – for the sake of Amalia. He understood the position Rufus was coming from; he wanted to find every possible answer about this investigation and those after Amalia. But it was too much for Reno to handle. He was tired and mentally drained knowing that there was someone out there trying to cause pain to the one he loved – and until they found more answers, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

Taking a deep breath, Reno finally spoke. "I just hope Tseng and Rude are able to find something in Nibelheim."

"Yes, this whole investigation would turn around if they did. But Reno," Rufus turned towards the red-head. "As I stated yesterday, I promise that we'll do everything in our power to protect her. We won't let anyone else harm her," but Rufus acknowledged his statement contradicted Amalia's current situation. "Uhh…well...what I meant was – "

"No, don't worry Rufus, I understand what you're trying to say. We…" He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his fiery, tangled locks. "We'll never be able to tell when someone will strike; we just need to find these fuckers before anything serious happens."

"I know you've thought about this so tell me, what is serious to you?"

Reno's eyes immediately watered upon hearing those words. It was the initial fear that plagued his mind and heart; always there to poke at Reno's pride, to shove it back into his face. "That I'll lose her completely – that's the worse I think could happen."

"Well then stop."

"Sir? It's not as easy as it looks…"

"Yes Reno, I am aware of this. But, the way I see things, is that you could either continue on in your life constantly afraid that you're going to lose Amalia – although it is an acknowledged fear. _Or_…you could still live your life and push that mentality towards the back of your heart. Sadly, it will never leave, but why live your days with fear and anxiety everyday instead of spending each day with Amalia being carefree about the future?"

Smirking, Reno shook his head. Rufus had said something yet again that was clear and on point. "Sir, what is it with you today? Have you suddenly become wiser or something?"

It was Rufus' turn to sigh. "Well…when you have weight on your shoulders as heavy as I do you finally begin to see the bigger picture of things that surround you every day. Reno I know it hurts, I may not be hurting in the same way as you, but I can visually see how this is affecting you. And as your boss, more importantly your friend, I can't stand to see you like this. You never…_sulk_ this much – it's not the Reno we know. Although your reasons are justifiably…"

For the first time in a few hours, Reno chuckled and rubbed his forehead. "You know Rufus, don't take this personally but…I like the person you've become in the last few years."

His boss raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Wanna know the secret?" The Second-in-Command nodded eagerly. "It was your girlfriend."

Reno was about to ask how exactly, when the door leading to the extended hallway opened and the main doctor walked in, clipboard in hand. Quickly jumping to his feet, Reno went to sprint passed the doctor, wanting to see Amalia as fast as he could, but the doctor blocked Reno's path with his arm. "I'm sorry Reno, but I need to speak to you and Mr. Shinra first."

Inwardly growling, the red-head nodded his head, understanding the doctor's position.

Reno thought back to when they had first arrived at Healen. As soon as he had made his way towards the building and parked – in which the angry red-head drove up the ramp and parked right next to the door – the doctors and Rufus were summoned and burst through and eased Amalia from the bike. With Reno's help, they carried her through the building and carefully laid her down onto one of the exam tables. Immediately after, the few doctors ushered Reno out before he had a chance to say anything; Rufus dragged him out of there but Reno was too numb to notice what was really going on around him. Before his boss pulled him from the room, all his vision could focus on was the semi-lifeless body of the woman he loved being probed with needles and heart monitors, her chest barely rising up and down.

But Rufus was right there to guide him back down the long hallway to the main room which acted of Rufus' office. He was truly grateful for the help from his boss he gently sat him down on the couch and left, leaving Reno to gradually understand what was going on and for him to realize where he was. After a few minutes, Rufus final returned with Elena holding onto his arm for support. As Reno looked at her, he noticed her eyes were wide and tears were stationed in the corner, not truly wanting to fall in disbelief. Leading her to the couch, Elena sat down and immediately pulled Reno into a hug, who numbly leaned into her embrace, unsure of how to feel. "Reno…Rufus told me what happened…I'm so sorry…"

Elena held Reno for quite some time, knowing that he was hurting on the inside and she knew she was hurting too – Amalia was his girlfriend and her friend, neither obviously wanted harm to come upon the other blonde. But Elena, at first, didn't believe what Rufus had told her when he walked into her room. But after a while, it finally sunk in that they were finally able to injure Amalia and upon hearing the truth, Elena grew pissed. She wanted to go after those people but Rufus advised against it. In the privacy of her room, Rufus explained that this was something Reno had to deal with and he would eventually be the one to take care of it in the future, if it ever came to be.

But time passed and eventually Rufus led Elena back to her room so he could be alone with Reno before the doctor went to find them with any news. Thus, what brings them to the present.

Reno couldn't believe his ears – the doctors were finally done examining Amalia after the last several hours of keeping them in the dark. Staring blankly at the doctor, Reno couldn't even process the words that were jumbling around in his head. Turning towards his boss, the red-head said sternly, "Please, let me go see her, Rufus."

"I know Reno, but we need to hear what the doctor has to say first."

Glancing between his boss and the hallway that led to Amalia, Reno finally decided to agree with Rufus and turned back towards the doctor. Rufus was right – again. He had to listen and hear if they found anything upon examining her. "Well?" he asked.

The doctor scratched his head and glanced down at his clipboard. "Well, as you know, we examined Amalia and searched for any unknown substance that might have entered her body from the injection. We checked all her vitals, her blood, breathing…everything."

Reno merely stared at the doctor, his eyes unwavering. "And…? What did you come up with?" He stated impatiently.

"I…" The doctor looked away, unsure of how to say what was currently on his mind. "Like I said, we checked _everything_, but…we couldn't find anything." The doctor noticed the expressions on the men's faces and held up his hand so he could finish speaking. "We checked everything _twice_, read over all the reports and as far as we can tell, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Amalia Strife."

"But how can that be…? I saw her be injected with something. You should've found _something_!" Reno nearly yelled.

"We did, however, find one…questionable aspect."

Rufus' ears perked. "And what would that be?"

"Well, since Amalia was injected with Jenova cells and was exposed to Mako, we checked those critical areas as well. And for some reason, the energy levels within her have spiked and for some reason, they were about two-hundred percent higher than normal and we don't know why that would be affecting her."

"So, you're saying…" Reno tried his best to grasp what he has just heard. "The Mako already within her is suddenly higher than what it should be?"

"Yes. As you know, Reno, when a person is first exposed to Jenova Cells and Mako, the experience on their body takes a greater effect when they are first exposed, then balances out to a normal level once the body has adjusted. And from what we have seen, Amalia's body is reacting as if she went through an injection of either one."

Both men were speechless. Reno held the bridge of his nose and Rufus simply stared at the doctor. He knew the man was telling the truth – he had been a part of his personal team for several years, even belonging to the team of doctors his father once used when he was still President before he was murdered by Sephiroth. Rufus knew the doctor wasn't lying. "How…" he began to say. "How is that possible…?"

Reno blankly stared at the doctor, the last of his words ushering into the red-heads memory. He simply couldn't believe it. The problem was due to a sudden spike in the Mako levels within Amalia? How was that even possible? Shaking his head, Reno turned towards the door and sighed before asking, "Can I go see her now?"

"Yes," the doctor replied quietly.

Leaving the two men behind him, Reno made his way through the door and down the hallway. Making a left at the end, Reno slowed at the exam room Amalia currently resided in. Placing a hand on the doorknob, Reno took in a deep breath before gently opening and walking in. Across the room, Amalia was curled under a blanket facing the wall; this made the red-head smile. Crossing the room, Reno grabbed Amalia's hand and held it close, using his fingers to find her pulse, which he found. The rhythmic beat under the tip of his fingers was a positive sign that she was doing better than earlier when it felt as if her pulse was growing weaker by the second. Grabbing a chair, Reno sat down next to the bed and gently brushed aside loose strands of hair away from Amalia's face.

And that spot is where Reno sat for what felt like hours – no one bothered him, he simply wanted to be alone, the sole protector of Amalia in her time of need. As the seconds ticked by, the blonde gradually began to stir; at first it was a simple sound, and then a groan until finally she began to slowly move around in the bed. At long last, Amalia turned in the bed towards Reno, her eyes slowly opening before they focused on the beloved red-head who sat firmly by her side.

The first thing Amalia noticed as her eyes opened was that everything around her was brighter than it should have been; the lights, the paint on the walls, even Reno's hair seemed a bit fierier than usual. Blinking to clear her vision, she said weakly, because her throat was so dry, "Reno…"

The red-head immediately leaned forward and placed a hand on her cheek. Amalia sighed and leaned into his hand, a feeling of contentment washing over her. Leaning back down on the bed, she searched Reno's face, his mouth upturned into a slight smile as his eyes depicted a deep sadness within him. "What happened?"

Reno sighed and ran a hand through his fiery hair, eyes avoided hers because he wanted to avert the details. "You really wanna know?" She nodded, her eyes wide his curiosity. "What do you remember?"

"Um," Amalia rubbed the side of her head; she wasn't in any physical pain, but her muscles felt stiff, a soreness that burned with a fire if she tried to soothe her limbs. "I remember being thrown off the bike…I was being held and so were you. Last thing I remember is staring up at someone with a sharp object in their hand. That's about it."

Softly rubbing her cheek, Reno didn't want to tell her what happened, she didn't need to know. But if he didn't say anything, she would continue to pester him for information, eventually reaching out to Rufus for some answers. "They…" he took a deep breath. "They stabbed you in the neck with a syringe and you collapsed from the pain."

"From a syringe?"

"Well, it was more than that. There was something in the needle and whatever it was forced you to go unconscious. You've been sleeping for about three hours."

"I was out for that long?!" Running a hand across her neck, Amalia couldn't feel anything but she honestly didn't remember what happened – and part of her was glad for that.

"The doctors were examining you to see if they could find anything within your body…"

But Reno stayed quiet and as Amalia watched, she could only imagine what he was thinking – but she deserved to know what the hell was going on. "And did they find anything?"

"N-nothing that stood out, the only anomaly was that…how should I put this…they said that the mako energy within you has spiked to higher levels for some reason. They said your current levels are the same compared to a person received their first dose of mako injections."

"Wait…what? So they injected me with mako?"

"That doctors never came to that conclusion but I've been thinking the same thing. It's the only explanation why the energy levels within you are so high." Reno gazed down at Amalia and noticed the distortion of expressions across her face; first confusion, then anger, then sadness. Grabbing her hand, he squeezed gently. "What're you thinking?"

"I just want to know why they attacked me. Why me? What have I done to them?"

At her statement, Reno could not say a single word; what was he supposed to say? _You were attacked because some evil, demented sons-of-bitches are after you? Because someone thinks you're the "savior"? _He was at a loss of words. Desperately wanting to tell her, Reno listened to the words of Rufus' words that replayed in the back of his head and bit his tongue; instead he grabbed her hand. Reno felt a heavy weight upon his shoulders; he was guilt ridden by not telling Amalia the truth but he knew why he shouldn't, but there was still a part of him that was screaming to tell the truth and be done with it.

"As long as it wasn't anything serious, right?"

Lifting his head, Reno looked deeply into Amalia's eyes. She was smiling, despite the confusion of what happened to her, Reno loved her even more. _This is the most courageous woman I have ever met. She just brushes off the fact that she was attacked – again –and thinks nothing of it. Maybe she's used to it from the past she's had? _Reno rubbed the back of his neck and forced a smile upon his face. He agreed with Amalia – her injuries, as of right now, weren't all that serious – but in the future, there was the chance they could get worse. And he didn't want to think of what could happen to her.

"Reno...?"

"I'm still here, baby," he replied automatically, although it felt as if his mind was a million miles away.

"You're really quiet."

"I was nervous about what might happen to you."

Sighing, Amalia stretched her arm out and pulled Reno off his chair and into a hug; she could tell he really needed one, as did she. Reno immediately latched his arms around her and squeezed, wanting to ensure that she was truly there, that she wasn't gone from his sight. Underneath her fingers, Amalia could feel Reno trembling. Rubbing the palm of her hands across his back, she tried to soothe his anxiety and as the minutes passed, he gradually began to calm down.

Pulling away from her embrace, Reno once again looked into her eyes and leaned forward, placing a chaste kiss against her lips. Standing, Reno walked towards the door and said, "I'm gonna go get the doctor real quick, ok?" But as he held the handle, Reno couldn't manage to open the door.

"I'm not going anywhere, Reno, I'll be here once you return." With a quick sigh and a nod of his head, Reno left and the door shut softly behind him.

Looking around the room, Amalia was still confused with what happened. Using her arms, she braced herself and sat up, stretching parts of her back that were throbbing. She had a tube attached to one of her arms, tracing all the way back to a water bag hanging on a metal stand right alongside her bed. But the question that was still probing her head was _why me?_

_Honestly, what have I done in the past to these people? I can't remember anything and I don't remember these people from the time Meteor attacked. Could I have done something prior to that? Was it something I did before Cloud and I even left Nibelheim? I can't…I can't think back that far…but whoever is doing this…I hope they stop. Not for my sake…but for Reno's…_

Moving a few strands of hair away from her face, the door clicked and opened as Reno, Rufus and one of the doctors all walked in. Reno and Rufus stayed by the door as the doctor walked towards Amalia, stethoscope and clipboard in hand.

"Good to see you awake, Amalia. How're you feeling?"

"Oh, I feel fine. My muscles are a little stiff and I'm fucking hungry…but other than that, nothing out of the usual."

The doctor laughed at her statement as he jotted some notes down. "I think Reno can get you some food once we're done here. Now that you're awake, I just want to check your vitals to see if everything is as it should be. Is that alright?" She nodded and stole a quick glance at Reno who had his arms crossed, but she could tell his shoulders were tensed. Helping her sit up farther away from the pillows, the doctor slipped his stethoscope underneath her shirt and instructed her to breath several times, in which she cooperated. Repeating the same feature on her chest, the doctor placed more notes onto his clipboard. He checked her eyes, throat, pulse, eyes – everything once more now she was awake.

Lastly, he checked the mako levels within her body and as the information appeared on the screen, he tapped the end of his pen against his chin, still confused at the numbers he was seeing. "I still don't understand this." Turning towards Amalia he asked, "I'm sure Reno explained to you about what I'm speaking of?" She nodded. "Well, I just ran the same test and the results are still the same. The mako within your body is clearly acting up towards something. But what that something is…I have no idea."

"Well…" Everyone turned towards her. "Reno said that these levels are the same as if I had just recently been injected with mako for the first time. Is that true?"

"Yes. When a person who wants, well…I guess that would be _wanted_, to be become SOLDIER, the doctor at the time would have explained this all to the patient. However, I am aware of your situation and how you came to be injected with mako. I assume Hojo never told you or your brother anything?"

"No," she shook her head, trying her hardest not to remember anything from those years. "I doubt he would, but even if he did, neither I, nor my brother, would remember."

"True enough, we all know Hojo would have kept secrets if it meant securing his research," the doctor looked towards Rufus. "But, yes, what Reno said was true. Your chart is telling us the same information as if you were just injected with mako for the very first time. Quite peculiar, if you ask me."

The room suddenly went quiet, but Amalia broke the silence, wanting at least some of her questions to be answered before they left. "So…what happens now? Where do we go from here?"

Rufus finally said something since entering the room. "We'll just need to keep an eye on you to see if something happens. We don't know what substance they gave you to cause these spikes in your mako energy and since we don't know that, we don't know what kind of side-effects it'll have on you." As Rufus was speaking, Reno continuously thought to himself, _please don't ask about the attackers, please for the love of god, don't ask about the attackers._ But Reno's wishes were granted – Amalia let it go about the attackers, nor did she ever ask if they were going to do anything about them.

Soon after, the doctor left, stating that since all her vitals were still in the clear, she could go home whenever she wanted, but pulled Reno aside and asked him to keep an eye on her at home. Once the three of them remained, Rufus himself asked how Amalia was truly feeling and she gave the same reply as she did with the doctor, nothing had changed. Looking at the two men who were concerned about her, Amalia suddenly thought of someone who wasn't in the room.

"Where's Elena?" she suddenly asked.

Reno and Rufus immediately looked at one another and both said, "Shit…"

"What?"

Rufus said, "We didn't tell her, it would've been too much stress on her leg."

"Her leg? Oh! Her leg!" Amalia looked at Reno. "Fuck that's why we came here today! I still have my materia, I need to see her!" Before the men could say anything, Amalia was already jumping out of bed and running past them through the door. Rufus laughed as he and Reno swiftly followed behind as she made her way down the hall towards Elena's room. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Reno and smiled. "I'm not going to tell her. I don't want her to know, ok?" The red-head only nodded, but he knew as soon as they left, Rufus would be explaining everything to Elena since it pertained to the overall investigation.

Knocking on the door, Amalia walked in and noticed Elena was standing, one hand placed firmly on the mattress to keep her balance. Looking up and the people who walked in, she smiled upon realizing who it was. "Amalia! Reno! You finally made it – I was wondering what the hell was taking you so long!"

Rubbing the back of her head, Amalia lightly laughed as she walked closer to her friend while the two men stayed within the doorway watching their interaction. "Sorry, I know we said we'd be here in the morning but…we ran into some trouble."

Elena's eyes immediately widened as she looked passed Amalia towards her boss and co-worker. "Trouble?" she said slowly. "What kind of trouble?"

"We had some issues with my bike." She could hear Reno and Rufus sigh in the background – they had been holding their breaths for too long.

"Oh." Elena blinked. That was not an answer she was expecting. "Is everything ok?"

Reno watched as Amalia giggled and wondered how she could be lying so well. _Maybe it's because she doesn't know the actual truth and brush it off as if nothing really did happen._

"Reno almost ran into something back in Edge so Cloud had to help fix the bike – the engine stopped working on us."

Elena turned towards her co-worker. "Reno!"

All the red-head do was shake his head, knowing full well that Amalia was to put the fake excuse on his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, I've already heard it from these two. I'm a bad driver, it's not my bike, I don't know what I'm doing blah, blah, blah. Happy, yo?"

"Mmm, a little since you basically just said you're stupid and can't comprehend on how to ride a bike."

"Hey! I am very capable of riding Ashe's bike!"

Elena turned her gaze away and said, "Apparently not."

Reno's brow twitched and he was about to state a crucial comeback when Amalia held up her hands. "All right, all right you too that's enough. Elena, I have to ask, what are you doing out of bed?"

The other blonde grunted. "I was sick and tired of being stuck in that bed! I needed to stand, move around, do something!"

Amalia giggled again. "Don't worry, I didn't forget to bring my materia so I can fix your leg in no time."

Elena clasped her hands together and gave Amalia the best pair of puppy dog eyes that she could, even providing small tears in the corners. "Oh Amalia, you're the best friend anyone could have!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can tell me that after I fix everything, alright?"

"Hell yes!"

"Alright, I need you to sit back on the bed, we need to take this cast off."

"Don't we need to get the doctor to take it off?" Rufus asked, his curiosity piqued at how she was going to take it off and repair her leg.

Looking around the room, Amalia spotted the plate leftover from Elena's lunch on the side table and, luckily, the knife was still there, the sharp edge hanging off of the plate. "Nah I got this." Banging her fist against edge sent the utensil flying into the air where it flipped around before finally landing in the open palm of Amalia's hand. Looking at Elena and noticing her bulging eyes, Amalia smiled. "What? I know I'm a badass."

"Ashe, how're you gonna use a steak knife to cut into the cast?"

"Very carefully," she said, her concentration focused solely on the knife and cast. Placing the sharp edge at the top near Elena's thigh, she counted to three then quickly ran the knife down the length of her cast and a lightning-fast paced. All the eyes in the room widened while Amalia's began to glow. Elena averted her eyes from her cast to look up at her friend; the colors of her friend's eyes vibrated radiantly. As the knife cut through the cast, Amalia's breath was ragged as she gently set the knife back down onto the side table.

Turning around, Amalia was met with the open mouths of both men. "See? Told ya I'd get it off."

"How…how the hell did you do that, Amalia?" Rufus asked.

She laughed. "As I stated, very carefully." Turning her attention back towards Elena she asked, "Now let's fix that leg, huh?"

"Please."

Nodding, Amalia hovered her left hand over the blonde's leg, conjuring the magic of the Mastered Cure materia within her arm. The palm of her hand started to glow green as she ran it up the length of Elena's thigh. Seconds flew into minutes as Amalia worked her magic but eventually she pulled her hand back, a satisfied grin plastered across her face. Looking up towards her friend she said, "Well? How does it feel?"

Elena cautiously extended her leg and her eyes widened. Jumping off the bed, she continued to extend her leg forwards, backwards and side-to-side; there was not a single trace of pain within the entire length of her leg. Jumping up and down, the blonde pounced on Amalia and squeezed her arms around her friend's neck. Stumbling backwards, Amalia smiled at Elena's genuineness and returned the embrace. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Smiling, Amalia squeezed her blonde friend tighter, proud that, in the end, she could help – despite the day that she had. Elena eventually let her go and walked around the room, amazed that she could once again use her mobility and to not be confined within a hospital bed. Both Reno and Rufus watched the female and smiled as well, knowing that was truly happy that she could walk again. Walking around Elena towards his woman, Reno grabbed her hand and squeezed, her eyes tilting upwards to meet his. Leaning down towards her ear he whispered, "I am so proud of you." She giggled, her cheeks turning bright red; she was about to reply when Rufus spoke up.

"Amalia, I am truly thankful for your help today, I, as do Elena, really appreciate it."

"Tch, it was nothing you two, you know I'll always help in any way I can."

"I know you will, Amalia…" Rufus mumbled.

Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Did you say something?"

Crossing his arms, Rufus chuckled. "No…I didn't say anything at all. Elena?"

The blonde stopped jumping around the tiny exam room and turned towards her boss, her excitement clearly evident upon her. "Yes, sir?"

"Now that your leg is all healed, I think it's time we returned to our normal headquarters."

Reno stepped in. "Will you be returning immediately?"

"No, probably not for a few more days or so. I think we'll wait for Tseng and Rude to join us before we head back." Reno nodded in agreement and looked back down towards Amalia. She was off staring at Elena and, just as he told her, he couldn't be any prouder of his lover than he already had been. Time and time again she always put everyone else before her and considered herself last. Even today after the possibility of being drugged, she took it upon herself to keep the promise she made and heal Elena's leg. The thought of her selfishness swept through him like liquid fire; a trail that ran from his heart straight down into his pants.

Within seconds he could feel the massive bulge wanting to escape from the confines of his jeans.

Swallowing deeply, he squeezed Amalia's hand one more time, he looked at the other members in the room and cleared his throat; they immediately looked in his direction and by the expressions on their faces, he could tell that they knew what he wanted to do. "Elena, it's great that your leg is feeling better, but it's been a long day for the both of us and I think it's time we get going."

"Aww, are you sure? Can't you stay for a little bit longer?"

Amalia laughed at her friend but deep down, she was feeling the same fire as Reno was. Her hand was burning from his touch and the current look he was giving her sent shivers down her spine and within a second, she sensed a familiar moistness between her legs and a throb that only Reno could satisfy. "Sorry girly but Reno's right, it has been a long day and since we had issues with the bike, I'd rather head home while there's still some daylight left."

"Well…I guess that makes sense. Then I'll have to come visit you once we head back to our headquarters in Edge. Would that be ok…?"

Amalia walked across the room and clasped her friend's hands within her own. "Elena, that would be perfect." Elena and Amalia spent the next few minutes discussing what they would do once they were back in Edge while Rufus pulled Reno outside and spoke to him about their next move.

"Reno, after today, I want you to keep an extra close eye on Amalia." He could tell his subordinate was about to speak but held up his hand, knowing that they only had a few minutes to have this conversation. "Look, I know I don't need to tell you that but it's part of my job. Keep your phone close by because we'll be in touch once I hear back from Tseng. I'll retell them what happened today and then we'll come up with another game plan."

The red-head sighed. "Sadly, I think that's the best option we have, sir."

"I'm glad you think so because I don't know what to do anymore. After what happened today, I think it' safe to say that –"

But then, the door from Elena's room suddenly opened and Amalia walked out, shutting it behind her softly. As she turned, she noticed that the two men were talking and asked, "Oops, I'm sorry, am I disturbing something?"

Rufus only smiled. "No, you're perfectly fine, Amalia. Reno," He looked at his employee. "I'll give you a call when needed."

"Yes, sir." With that, Rufus opened the door to Elena's room and shut it behind him, leaving the couple their privacy as they walked hand-in-hand outside towards _Shiva_ so they could finally go home. Just as they opened the door, they could hear a loud _**"WHAT?!"**_ coming from down the hall. Reno sighed as Amalia narrowed her eyes. "Her told her, didn't he?"

"Yep, Rufus told Elena."

"Ohhh, that jackass."

As they walked towards the bike, Reno laughed. She was the only person he knew who would bluntly call Rufus a jackass. "He just told her because he knew she'd want to know you were attacked – again."

She sighed and climbed onto the bike once Reno was aboard. "I can understand that, but…"

"Listen, don't worry about it yo. You just worry about what _I'm_ going to do to you once we get home."

She gasped. "You're not saying…?"

But his only reply was to rev the engine and speed off into the distance.

~ oOo ~

"Oh god…"

Amalia crashed onto the bed and nuzzled into Reno's chest, watching as his breathing gradually began to calm down. Their sex had once again been passionate, loving and demanding, each wanting to pleasure the other and receive pleasure in return. For the third day in a row, as soon as they walked through the door of their apartment, both attacked each other, wanting none other than to feel their bodies against each other.

Lifting his eyes, Reno was met with a pleasurable sight – Amalia on her back, the bedsheet loosely draped across her lower half, one arm laying cross her stomach while the other stretched over her head. He smiled and gently traced his fingertips over her bare stomach, eliciting a soft giggle from the blonde. Reno couldn't stop himself, he was insatiable of leaving Amalia alone and with everything that had happened earlier, he needed to make sure she was still there. Touching, kissing, licking, pleasing – whatever he had to do to remind Amalia that he was there and that he would never leave. But it was also a way for the red-head to recognize that she was there as well.

His fingers grazed her skin; across her stomach, towards her shoulders and down the length of her arms. Amalia sighed, her head turning to the side to look at Reno, his eyes glossed over with lust, a sign that he wanted her again – and she would grant it to him.

Leaning up on his elbow, Reno peered down at the beautiful woman next to him who held the same gaze. Caressing her cheek, he asked, "Have I told you today that I love you…?"

Nuzzling into his hand, Amalia peered up at the red-head with an intense gaze of her own. "Yes…but I'd appreciate it if you could _show_ me again."

Growling, Reno grabbed her hips and switched their positions so she peered above him. Guiding her dripping, and still throbbing womanhood, Reno drove his still hardened cock into her. "Ashe, I'll show you all night how much I love you, if that's what it takes."

~ oOo ~

**And there we have it folks – another chapter down! I'll be honest, I can't say when the next chapter will be posted. I start my final semester of Graduate school in a few weeks, so the next few months are going to be hectic. I've got a lot coming up, but that won't stop me from writing. Have a Happy New Year everyone, and I hope the start of 2017 makes every smile!**

**As always, review are accepted and most appreciated!**

**Chocobocolina :3**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Hello – I am back! Did anyone miss me…? I'm so sorry about not posting anything in the last few months. It's been difficult to find the time to write – I've been spending all my time working on my Graduate Thesis because I graduate less than two months from now. Clock's ticking!**

**Anywho, here is the next chapter. It's getting feisty! Hope everyone enjoys!**

**Disclaimer: Reno does not belong to me. It will never happen…**

~ oOo ~

Several weeks flew by for Amalia; she was falling into a rhythm in her newly formed life with Reno that she didn't see each day drift away. The day she had been attacked – again – had come and gone, and with it, Amalia fully moving in with Reno. It had taken a few days before Cloud stated Yuffie had left, in which she eagerly fetched any remaining clothes and anything special she wanted to grab and establish in her new home. Cloud, still being supportive of her relationship with Reno, occasionally messaged the two and kept them up to date in regards to the other group members. Yuffie was still, as Cloud stated, "mad as hell," with Vincent silently by her side, but her older brother knew his feelings were not aligned with those of his wife; Barrett and Cid were beginning to rethink their original thoughts and had spoken with Cloud since the last time they had seen Amalia and expressed their misjudgments.

With the passing of the weeks, Tseng and Rude returned from their mission to inform Rufus that, despite their efforts and everything they had done, both Turks could not find any piece of evidence to support their theory. Rufus was the one to inform Reno, and when he did, the red-headed Turk suggest that Amalia work for Shinra and accompany him to work – mainly so he could keep an eye on her. Rufus obliged to the idea, though he still allowed Reno to take another week off before returning to work to spend some alone time with Amalia. She didn't question anything, and almost two weeks after she had been attacked, Reno and the rest of the Turks returned to work in their main Headquarters in Edge, with Amalia joining three times a week; Reno could not get her join him every day he was there, but was thusly informed that she would also be assisting Cloud more with his delivery business. Though she wouldn't be with him constantly, Reno was still thankful that, if she wasn't with him, at least she would be with her brother.

Thinking back on everything that happened, Amalia stood in the front room of the empty bar, a glass of water grasped firmly between her hands. Scuffing her feet against the floor, Amalia questioned where he brother was. After Reno left for work that morning, Cloud has sent her a message asking to stop by the bar and the moment she arrived, she realized that she was the only one there – so she had decided to wait. Groaning, she looked at the clock and realized that she had been there for nearly half-an-hour and still no sign of her brother. Taking her glass with her, Amalia began to pace the floor before walking upstairs towards the small room Cloud used for an office. Inside, the room had become more of a professional office than it did several years ago. Walking up to the desk, Amalia took one last drink of her water before setting it down and pulling the small calendar out from one of the drawers. Look down at the weeks that had passed, the female counted twelve weeks since she had moved out; this made her smile. With Reno, time flew by but also slowed down. She was never lonely, never sad and always had someone to go home too who made her laugh; it was an experience she had been waiting a long time for and made her smile knowing that she would see it tonight when she went home. _Mmm, home…I like the sound of that…even though he works, Reno and I still have PLENTY of time together. Speaking of which, I wonder if he'll have time tonight to…_

But suddenly, Amalia leaned forward, one arm resting on the desk while the other clutched her stomach.

Taking deep breaths, Amalia squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to stop the dizzy spell that had suddenly overridden her senses. Several moments passed before she was able to stand without the unexpected wave of nausea coursing through her body.

Still breathing slowly, Amalia began to think out loud. "Well, that was…interesting. I wonder what the hell could've caused that. Wait…?" Quickly grabbing the calendar one more time, Amalia scanned the last several dates but sighed, her lips lifting at the edge of her mouth.

"Ashe? Are you here?"

Glancing up, Amalia placed the calendar back onto the desk and grabbed her water before walking down the stairs. Standing on the last step, she saw Cloud, Tifa and the kids walk through the door; her brother turned, saw her, and smiled. "What're you doing here so early?"

Raising an eyebrow, she said, "What am I doing here so early? What're you doing here so late? You told me to stop by so I came over after you messaged me."

Heading in her direction, Marlene and Denzel ran up to her, each giving her a quick hug, before running up the stairs towards their room. Amalia watched them go before turning back to her brother. "Check your phone," was all he said. Pulling out her phone, there was indeed, another message from her brother stating:

_Stop by the bar in about an hour. Taking Tifa and the kids to lunch._

"Oh." Putting her phone back in her pocket, she shrugged her shoulders and drank the rest of her water. "Eh, that's ok. So what's up?" At the faucet, she turned on the tap and refilled her drink as Cloud grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"We have an important delivery next week."

"Oh, sounds good! What kind of delivery?"

Tifa, who was still standing by the door, questioned, "Amalia, do you remember what next week is?"

Turning in her direction, Amalia replied, "Next week? Hmm, other than the delivery Cloud was just stating, it's…ah! No…" Looking at her brother, Amalia scowled. "It's our Birthday!"

"I know," was all he said as he guzzled down his beer and avoided the stare he was receiving from his sister.

"But…but…but!"

"Amalia, I tried to rearrange the dates, but there's nothing I can do. If you don't want to help, I understand. But I won't be here on that day."

Sighing, Amalia took a drink of her water, hating the situation but understanding the predicament her brother was in. "Ugh…I can't be selfish and do that to you. What time do you need me on our birthday?"

"I think around noon should be good."

"I hope you know I'm not happy about this."

"Oh, I know you're not happy about this."

"Good. Then you'll be the one to tell Reno I won't see him on my birthday."

Spitting the contents of the beer from his mouth, Cloud stared open mouthed at his sister. "There is no way I am telling _your_ boyfriend that _you_ have to work on _our_ birthday."

"Oh, come on Cloud I was just joking! I'd never ask you…to…" The scent of Cloud's discarded beer drifted through her nose; Amalia could taste the essence of the alcoholic drink as it seeped into her body. The smell alone was enough to send her nerves over the edge as she scrunched her nose, the smell creating havoc to the inside of her body. Clutching her stomach again, the glass of water fell from her weak grip and shattered on contact with the floor. Dashing towards the bathroom at the base of the stairs, Amalia barely had enough time to make it towards the toilet before unleashing the contents swelling from within her throat. From the other room, she could hear Tifa speaking with Cloud, but her brother was immediately by her side, pulling the long tresses of hair away from her neck and rubbing circles on her back.

"Tifa! Get Ashe another glass of water!"

_Oh for the love of god this is disgusting!_ Amalia thought as she continued to heave over the toilet bowl, her stomach performing summersaults and backflips.

With the last contents released from her stomach, Amalia still held her position and only turned away when she could her Tifa's motherly voice behind her. "Oh Amalia…here. I brought you more water and a towel." Nodding her head, Amalia cleaned her lips and greedily drank the clear liquid that attempted to wash away the burning taste of bile from her throat. When her breathing somewhat returned to normal, she looked up at her brother and reached for his free hand, wanting to stand on her feet. But as she began to move, the blonde could feel her stomach churning and she had to turn to the safety of the bowl one last time before cleansing her stomach of more anomalies.

Ten minutes later and after spending two more times emptying whatever remained in her stomach, Cloud carried his sister up towards his room and gently laid her on the bed. Tifa followed on his heels, placing a damp cloth on her forehead and brought some crackers that would, hopefully, settle her stomach. After the third time she had spent lurching over the toilet, Amalia protested, saying she was fine, but when the fourth time came, she caved. Curling onto her side, Amalia's body felt tense, but other than that, her stomach felt better.

Glancing up, Cloud stood by her side while Tifa took a seat on the edge of the bed, her martial fists softly gracing Amalia's forehead, seeking any signs of a fever. The seconds ticked by before Tifa replaced her hand with the damp cloth. "Hmm, you don't feel warm, so I don't think you're getting sick."

"I know I'm not sick." Amalia protested.

"Says the girl who spent four times in the bathroom throwing up whatever your tiny body could hold."

"No, trust me guys, I feel better." Tifa exchanged a look with Cloud who shook his head. "I know you guys don't believe me but I know why I'm sick."

Looking back at Amalia, Tifa leaned forward and whispered, "Amalia…are you…?" She changed her direction towards Amalia's midsection.

"Huh? Oh, no, no! I'm not! Dear god woman, I'm sick off of old food I ate last night!"

"Food?" Cloud questioned.

"Yes, food. A few days ago, Reno bought some Wutai takeout and it was accidentally left out on the counter all night and it didn't get put into the fridge until we went to bed. Well, I wanted Wutai food yesterday for lunch and decided to have the remaining leftovers from the other night. I'm sick because of that."

"Are you sure?" Tifa asked, but she knew that Amalia was telling the truth.

"I am sure. Trust me, even Reno told me to be cautious about the food but I was so hungry I didn't care what I ate. I'm probably just having a reaction off that."

"You said you had it for lunch yesterday?" Amalia nodded and Cloud scratched his head. "So it took almost a full day for you to be affected."

Tifa joined in. "It probably wasn't bad enough to affect her as quick."

"Hmm…" Amalia could tell that Cloud was still worried but, as usual, he let it slide. Until… "Promise me one thing."

"Ok?"

"I'll call Reno and explain what happened but he has to be the one to drive you home. What time does he get off?"

"Depends on whether he gets his assignments done but…" Looking at the clock on the nightstand, Amalia added, "He should be off in the next few hours."

"I'll call him. You just try and sleep until then." Cloud left the room, phone in hand as he dialed Reno's cell. Tifa followed her boyfriend out and as Amalia watched the two leave, she scoffed at her brother requesting her to sleep. But as she heard the door shut softly, leaving her alone, she snuggled into the bed and was out within the first few seconds.

~ oOo ~

"… – he? Ashe? Baby, you need to wake up."

Groaning, Amalia twitched from her position. She could feel a hand tracing along her jaw, the sensation was comforting and, gradually, she was able to maneuver her eyes to open. When her slits opened, Amalia's vision was at first blurry, but eventually everything formed into their original shape, and she could see clearly. The hand she sensed earlier cupped her cheek and Amalia turned her head just enough to see Reno sitting on the edge of the couch.

"Ashe, are you awake?" Nodding her head, Amalia reached for Reno's hand and he assisted her into a sitting position. Although her body still felt a little tense, her stomach was much better than before – although, her stomach was growling from hunger. Wrapping her hair over one shoulder, she rubbed her eyes, still trying to wake from her deep slumber. When she felt that her eyes could fully open, Amalia looked straight into Reno's and smiled. "There's my angel."

"Reno…? What're you doing here?"

"Cloud called a few hours ago and said that you had gotten pretty sick. He said you'd be fine here and told me to pick you up when I got off." Taking the cloth off her head, Reno checked to see if she had a fever. Tifa had stated that she didn't have one earlier, and Reno could tell that she still didn't. Sighing, he leaned forward and kissed her head. "Baby, how're you feeling now?"

"I'm…better than before. My body is a little sore and I'm hungry. But not like before. How long have I been out?"

"Your brother called about three hours ago, so I would assume you've been asleep since then." Amalia nodded, her senses beginning to come alive again and she braced her hand on Reno's leg as she stood. "Can we go home? All of a sudden I just got homesick…"

"Anything. We'll take the bike and be home in no time." Nodding, Amalia tried to step forward, but quickly lost her balance and fell into Reno. Laughing softly, he held Amalia's shoulders and straightened her out. "Ok, though you seem to be awake, your legs are still asleep. Come on, it'll be quicker this way." Picking her up bridal style, Amalia squeaked as Reno carried her through the apartment and downstairs into the bar; luckily, the bar wasn't open for several more hours so no customers could see her predicament.

Cloud and Tifa stood near the counter, with Tifa cleaning any remaining dishes from the previous night. As soon as Reno walked down the stairs, the couple turned to look up at them and Amalia waved towards her brother.

"Oh, she's finally awake. How'd you sleep?"

Reno answered for her and said, "Like a rock. You know how long I was up there; it took me forever to get her awake."

"Oh, bite me, I got sick."

"And wasn't I the one who told you not to eat the Wutai leftovers?" Reno and Amalia stared into each other's eyes, waiting for the other to back down. When neither did, they both smiled, with Reno adding, "Next time, just listen to me, ok? I've lived off of Wutai takeout a lot longer than you have."

"Yeah, that's true."

From behind the counter, Tifa was openly laughing while she finished cleaning the remaining dishes; without even looking up at the two, she could imagine the looks on their faces. Despite everything that had happened within the last few weeks, she had come to terms with Amalia being with Reno. She agreed with Cloud that, although she didn't fully accept that it was Reno and he was a Turk, she was ultimately happy that they were happy together. And from that day several weeks ago and that afternoon, the martial artist could tell that Amalia and Reno were perfect for each other. The way he sounded worried over the phone when Cloud called him and even the way he reacted when he finally appeared at the bar. Smiling, she said, "Make sure she drinks plenty of water too. She'll become dehydrated if she doesn't."

"Yes mom," Amalia replied in a mocking tone, but looked over at Tifa and mouthed _thanks_ in her direction; Tifa smiled once more.

"Alright, well I'm gonna take this one home. You ain't doing anything tonight except eat soup and watch TV." Reno proceeded towards the front door as Cloud and Tifa watched them leave.

"Does that mean you'll take care of me? Waiting on me hand and foot?"

"If it'll make you feel better, then yes."

"Then I think soup and TV sounds pretty nice."

~ oOo ~

Although Amalia stated that her stomach felt better than earlier, Reno still maneuvered the bike through Edge slower than usual until they reached the apartment; at that time, Amalia could walk on her own, but Reno clasped his arm around her shoulder to keep her steady. As they made their way towards home, Amalia's suddenly grasped her stomach and leaned into Reno's shoulder. "Hey, everything ok?"

"Yeah…" She held a hand over her mouth.

"Oh no, ok, hold let me open the door!"

"No, Reno, it's ok!" The red-head turned towards Amalia just as he inserted his key into the lock. "I don't need to…you know. I told you at the bar, I'm really hungry! My stomach was growling."

"But…you held your hand over your mouth! Usually that indicates…"

"Sweetie, you know how sometimes when you feel so hungry that you suddenly become nauseous?" He nodded. "That time is now."

"Oh. Ohhh, ok, well give me several minutes and I will heat you up some soup." Opening the door, Reno told Amalia to enter first. "Why don't you go and put on something comfy while I make you dinner?"

"Sounds good." Giving Reno a quick peck, Amalia trudged upstairs, noticing that her movements were suddenly slow and sluggish but once she reached the stop of the stairs, she all but collapsed onto the bed. But, food and TV with Reno sounded better than going back to sleep. Heading into the closet, Amalia tore off her jeans and shirt, replacing said clothing with a pair of shorts and the baggiest sleepshirt she had, with a front logo which said _TURKS RULE_ (a gift from Reno several years earlier). Once her socks were on her feet, she headed back downstairs to find Reno placing the fully cooked soup into bowls from the pan he had cooked up. Walking into the kitchen, Amalia leaned against the sink but sniffed the air.

"Oh, that soup smells good."

"I know, yo. So, we eat wherever you feel comfortable. At the table or on the couch?"

"Couch; we can watch TV too. Here, let me help." Amalia tried to grab for the bowls but Reno swatted her hand away. "Nope, I don't think so. I told you at the bar: soup and TV – that's all you get to do tonight. So please baby, go sit on the couch, let me take care of you."

Smiling, Amalia's heart swelled. She knew Reno would always take care of her, but this was the first time she had gotten "sick" while living together and it was, despite being sick, romantic to see Reno wanting to wait on her hand and foot. Standing on her toes, she placed a kiss on his cheek and he smiled too. "Wait, no kiss on the lips?"

"I didn't think you'd want a lip kiss. Remember, I've puked four times today."

"True, don't wanna taste any of that." Amalia swatted his arm before taking her position on the couch. Reno appeared with her bowl and a glass of water only to disappear for his bowl. Reno turned the TV on and tried to find something to watch, but when nothing grasped their interest, he inserted a movie instead.

Heeding Reno's words, she ate slowly and cautiously. Though she had a feeling she wasn't going to become sick again, she didn't want to take any chances by quickly devouring the liquid meal. Each bite she took felt amazing in her mouth and by the time Reno was on his third bowl, Amalia was still on her first. Roughly thirty minutes into the movie, Amalia had just finished the last bite and Reno set the bowl on the coffee table. Wanting to cuddle into Reno and finish the movie, the blonde was suddenly taken over by a strange feeling; first it coursed through the pit of her stomach and gradually risen towards her throat. At that moment, the only thing she could mutter was "oh god" before rushing towards the closest bathroom.

Reno was on her heels and pulled her hair back as she emptied the newly placed contents of her stomach. Tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks; Amalia didn't know when it would end. Her stomach hurt and as she firmly clutched the toilet bowl, she prayed to the Lifestream to make it stop. Several minutes passed before she could lean back, and when she did, Reno had grabbed the hand towel and wet the corner just enough to wipe her mouth. Weakly, she tried to move his hand away but he hushed her, repeating soft and gentle words to her. Nodding, Amalia allowed Reno to care for her in a way she hadn't been treated since the last time she had seen her mother. Her stomach was still upset, but the waves of nausea calmed – at least for the time being.

Quickly leaving, Reno grabbed her water and squatted in front of Amalia, instructing her to drink. Unlike earlier that afternoon, she took small sips here and there; the coolness of the liquid dissolving any leftover bile and soothing her now raw throat. When he was done, Amalia turned her head away and Reno put the glass on the counter. "How're you feeling?"

"Stomach icky…" was all she could mumble.

"I think it's time to go to bed."

"But it's too early, you'll be wide awake."

"I don't care." Picking her up, Reno carried Amalia upstairs and gently eased her into her spot of the bed. Retrieving a hair-tie from the bathroom, her carefully braided her thick locks in case she had any spells throughout the night. Pulling the blanket over her, Reno traced the contours of her face as Amalia looked into his. He placed a longing kiss on her forehead and by the time he pulled away, she was sound asleep.

Early the next morning, Amalia opened her eyes to find the sun blazing through the blinds of their window. With enough memory of last night, Amalia came to the conclusion that she had slept hard enough that she had stayed in the same position all night – on her side facing the edge of the bed. Stretching her legs out, she flew her hand to Reno behind her, only to find the spot vacate, the sheets barely warm to indicate that he had been gone long enough. Gently, as not to disturb her stomach, Amalia sat up on the bed and stretched her arms over her head. Though still a little sore, she felt better than she had after she had taken a nap at Cloud's. Bracing herself onto her legs, Amalia walked downstairs and found Reno on the couch watching the news. At the sound of her feet, Reno looked to find Amalia and stood to join her.

"Hey, I think you should go back to bed."

"Why?"

"Because you got sick again last night."

"But I feel so much better this morning."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I heard those words yesterday as well."

"I promise Reno!" Sitting on the couch, Amalia took Reno's hand and cuddled into his side. "I promise, I feel much, much better. All I wanna do is cuddle with you."

Sighing, Reno wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. He had a knack for knowing when Amalia was being truthful and, in that moment, she was. He couldn't deny her anything and, though he tried to tell her what to do, Amalia would do what she wanted. She was headstrong in that manner.

"So what're your plans for today?" Her question pulled his mind out of his thoughts.

"I actually need to go into work today. Yesterday I told Rufus you were sick and he said I could go home early, and I did. But there's something I need to finish before the weekend." Looking down at her figure, Reno kissed the top of her head, already knowing her answer. "Wanna go in with me? You can see Elena."

"Yes! I wanna see Elena!" Reaching forward, Amalia kissed Reno's cheek with such force that her lips formed a POP when she pulled away. "Oh don't worry, I also wanna go in just to be with you."

"Oh sure, thanks." He smiled and pulled her up as he stood from the couch.

They made their way into the shower and, after spending a considerable amount of time with each other, they stepped out of the tub when the hot water decided to freeze on them. Reno donned his usual Turk attire – black slacks, black suit jacket with an untucked white shirt – while Amalia chose jeans, her ankle boots and a basic blue shirt. Once ready for the day, the blonde and the red-head traveled down their apartment building and raced away towards the new Shinra Headquarters on the opposite side of town. Around eleven, Reno maneuvered _Shiva_ into the small parking lot off to the side, already noticing the other cars parked there – everyone was already at work.

Though she spent several days a week working within the same office as Reno, it still amazed her to see the new Headquarters. When Rufus was still in hiding several years ago, they used Healen as their office, but when Amalia and Cloud defeated Sephiroth for the second time, Rufus was healed of his Geostigma and ordered the construction of the new building. As she walked out of the elevator and stepped onto the floor that belonged to the Turks, Amalia compared the old Headquarters to the new one. _Yep, the new one is much better. It doesn't have that "We're controlling you and this city with mako!" _kinda vibe anymore.

Right outside the elevator sat Tanya, the main secretary for the Turks. Reno waved in her direction as did Amalia, who earned a smile in return. As they maneuvered the office, Amalia gradually drank the coffee Reno had purchased down in the lobby; at first it was delicious, but the more she drank, the more bitter it became, causing Amalia's face to cringe with every drink. Handing it to Reno, he greedily consumed any remaining liquid then tossed the cup in a nearby trash can.

Once they walked down through the hallway and into the specifically large office which housed a desk for each Turk, Reno sat down in his seat and counted down from five. _5…4…3…2…1…_

"_AMALIA!"_

The blonde had just sat on the corner edge of Reno's desk before she was trapped by the arms of the other blonde she was friends with. From behind, Elena squeezed her friend with as much strength as she could muster and squealed; obviously excited to have another girl in the office once again. Turning within the arms still wrapped around his midriff, Amalia threw hers around Elena's neck and the two girls squealed with delight.

"Amalia it's been too long!"

"I know it has! Feels like forever."

And from the desk behind the two blondes sat the fiery red-head who sat in awe at the spectacle before him. "You two do realize that it's only been…two, three days since you've seen each other!"

"Oh, what do you know Reno! In girl world that's like…forever!" Elena stuck her tongue out at the red-head whilst he did the same; with the best friend and girlfriend in the middle, Amalia simply shrugged her shoulders and resumed her spot on the edge of the desk. "Right, Amalia?"

"Huh?"

"You agree with me don't you? That's it's literally been forever since I've seen you?"

Switching her gaze between Elena and Reno, Amalia choice the only option she could think of. "Let me put it this way, both of you; this is how I see it. Elena and I haven't really seen each other because of all the random missions Rufus has sent you on and in the last few weeks, I've moved in with Reno and we've started to begin our life together. So, therefore it technically does seem as if it has been forever since we've really done anything together."

"Good god woman, it's only been two days since you were last here!"

Craning her neck off to the side, Amalia noticed Rude and Tseng appeared from Rufus' office, with Rude stating the comment that had just been spoken. Shaking her head, Amalia rebottled Rude's statement with, "Hey, I'm simply trying to please these two knuckleheads over here!"

"Hey!" said knuckleheads stated at the same time. Reno and Elena glared at each other as the blonde crossed her arms and turned her head away.

"She was talking about you, you know," Reno stated slyly, as he placed his dirty work boots onto his desk. Cockily, he draped both arms over his head and winked in his girlfriend's direction.

"Oh, geez…" Amalia whispered as she tried not to laugh.

"Tseng, has Reno arrive yet? Or is that just Elena talking with herself again?" Amalia could hear Rufus' voice before he appeared from his office doorway. Elena was trying to tell her boss what his comment did to her but, as usually, he pretended to listen whilst ignoring her. Spotting the couple at his desk, the boss smiled and beckoned Reno and the other Turks to follow him; but he wouldn't ignore the blonde.

"Amalia, as usual, it is good to see you."

Nodding her head, she replied, "And you, Rufus."

"I need to have a small chat with everyone, mind if I bother Reno for a few minutes?"

"Nah, go for it, I know you'll remind him that he should be wearing cleaner boots when he comes into work."

"Hey!" Reno sat straighter in his chair as he hid his boots from view. Flattening any wrinkles he noticed with his shirt – which, by the way, was one he picked off the floor earlier that morning – clearly stated, "I think the boots represent the best qualities that I have."

"And that would be, what? An outer representation of how dirty you are on the inside?" Everyone in the room began to bark with laughter as Reno cocked his head from side to side. Standing to his feet, Reno slowly walked around the edge of the desk while the other Turk members wiped tears from their eyes – other than Tseng who so desperately tried to keep his manicured composure. Reno, now looking down into the face of a giggling Amalia, picked her up by her hips and threw her over his shoulder.

"Reno!"

"That was uncalled for missy, I will only let you down the moment you agree that you like my dirty side." Unable to think clearly, Amalia hung off of Reno's shoulder, her face immediately turning the shade of an apple for everyone else in the room to see. Stealing her seat on the edge of the desk, Reno firmly held one arm around Amalia's waist, waiting for an answer. "I can't hear you."

"I didn't say anything, now put me down Reno!"

"Not until I get any answer. One…"

"Reno…"

"Two…"

"Reno!"

"Three." _SMACK_ – Reno swatted his hand across her rump as Amalia squeaked, her high pitched voice echoing across the office with the other Turk members, and Rufus, bashfully turning their heads away, but chuckled nonetheless.

"Reno! Don't do that again."

"Hey, this would all end if you just answered my question."

Pouting, Amalia tried to cross her arms, but ended up dangling them in front of her instead. "I don't wanna…" she mumbled.

"All right then – I warned you." _SMACK_.

"Reno!"

"Ashe!"

"…you're mocking me, aren't you?"

"I'm gonna smack you again."

"No, please don't!" She could hear the snickers of the other Turks – her embarrassment in the moment had never been higher. Taking a deep breath, Amalia turned her head as far as she could towards Reno and quickly stated, "Fine, you win! What I said was wrong – although it was really funny – I shouldn't have said it!"

"And now we're on to something. So what do you say?"

Narrowing her eyes, Amalia muttered, "I'm sorry – whoa!"

Reno dropped Amalia back onto her feet and grabbed her shoulders, steadying her as she readjusted to standing on her feet. "I graciously accept your apology," leaning down, he quickly kissed her cheek then dashed towards Rufus' office, waiting for the rest of the Turks to join him. Sighing, Amalia held the bridge of her nose, but a soft chuckle escaped her lips. Eyeing the rest of the Turks, she said, "Ya'll enjoy the show?" They rapidly nodded their heads and she immediately sat down in Reno's chair. "Well show's over, so shouldn't you go have your meeting?"

Laughing, Rufus, Tseng and Rude walked after Reno while Elena stayed behind. "I gotta say, girl, seeing the way Reno acts with you is tremendously funny, and cute."

Leaning back in the chair, Amalia scratched her cheek then proceeded to place her elbows on the desk. "I'm glad everybody got a laugh out of that." Though after her statement, she continued to wiggle in her seat.

"Your ass hurt?"

"He really knows how to slap hard!"

Winking, Elena began walking towards the meeting before replying over her shoulder, "I bet he does." As she walked away and closed the door behind her, Amalia let loose a laugh and swiveled around in Reno's chair. Though Rufus said the meeting wouldn't be that long, she had a feeling it would – because they usually did. As the chair slowed to face the computer, Amalia extended her arms and grabbed the edge of the desk, pulling her closer. Grabbing the mouse, she awakened the sleeping computer and began searching for her regular pastime game – solitaire. Clicking through the normal files, Amalia cursed and questioned why she had never created a shortcut through the desktop, it would save her minutes just looking for the damn thing.

"Ah! Gotcha!" After several moments, the familiar icon appeared before her eyes, and as she moved the courser to open the application, something on the computer screen caught her attention. Several file folders above the game application were labeled "AMALIA: TOP SECRET". Tilting her head to the side, Amalia questioned the purpose of such a file and, without thinking of which action to take, she quickly clicked on the file and immediately leaned back in her seat.

Once the file opened, Amalia noticed it contained images, documents, notes, videos, and anything else that could be stored virtually through the computer.

Not knowing what to do, the blonde glanced her eyes upwards towards Rufus' door; everyone was still in the meeting and probably would be for some time. Transferring her eyes from across the room to the screen directly in front of her, she began looking through each file, beginning with the images. There were pictures of her when she first began to work at the Shinra Co. several years ago, when she and Cloud first left Nibelheim, pictures during the Sephiroth catastrophe two years ago, some of her and Reno throughout their entire relationship and even some that seemed to have been taken within the last few months. Covering a hand over her mouth, Amalia closed all the pictures she had opened and moved on to the documents; unfortunately, those only made her stomach convulse more. Each document seemed to be one written by one of the Turks – Reno, Rude, Elena, Tseng, and even Rufus – all discussing different ideas, missions, goals, setbacks, even plans on how to keep her safe. _Save…me? From what? What the hell is all this…? And why would it be labeled 'TOP SECRET' with my name on it?_

Maneuvering through all the documents, Amalia noticed that the earliest dated occurred almost one year ago; which meant that, whatever had been going on, all the Turks had kept it a secret from her. With her stomach still growing sicker by the second, she decided to move onto to the videos; after stealing a pair of headphones from the drawer, Amalia fastened the device around her head, plugged it in and clicked on the video that had the earliest date – which seven months ago. Each video only last for several minutes, with the longest last nearly ten and by the time the final video ceased to play, Amalia's eyes swelled with tears; there was only a singular thought transgressing through her mind at that exact moment.

_Someone's trying to kill me…_

But it wasn't the idea that someone was out to get her, oh no; ironically, it was the fact that all her buddies here at the new Shinra HQ had been lying to her all along. Straightening her back in the office chair, Amalia mentally tallied each time Reno and the other Turks had been away on "missions". But then, it clicked in her mind.

"_Don't fret my lovely, I plan to attack you as long as I need in order to learn everything about your skills."_

"_No, not until I've had my way with you. I must follow my master's orders."_

"_But, no matter, I shall report this back to my master and he'll decide what he wants to do next."_

"_Revenge."_

"_Yes, she'll be out for the next few hours from the pain, but this is exactly what he asked for."_

Thinking back, the random attacks from an opponent she didn't even know, his comments about "not being strong enough," "needing more power," it all had something to do with this. His statements were clues and, until now, Amalia had no idea what it meant – what any of it meant. Looking back at the screen, Amalia saw a blur of words and file names; after everything she had just scanned and witnessed, there were no words to describe the bubbling emotions pounding within her chest. Anger, frustration, denial, pain…betrayal. All were ready to burst forth and she could feel her first forming in her lap, her nails digging deeply into her skin. Placing the headphones back into the drawer, Amalia decided to keep the files open on the screen; she had been lied to for long enough, it was time for her demands to be answered; and they would be answered, one way or another.

Hearing the click of the door, the blonde glanced up to see that the meeting had concluded and everybody was exiting Rufus' office, including the President himself. _Perfect…_ was all the ex-SOLDIER thought. Tseng and Rufus were still muttering to themselves, but quickly shut their lips as they reached Reno's desk; i.e., the spot where Amalia was currently residing. _Add that to the list of oddities that have occurred within the last year._

"So whatcha been doing out here, Amalia? Have you beaten your score on solitaire yet?" Elena was peppy, that much was certain, but what Amalia finally noticed was the way her smile seemed a little too tight; the way Rude was watching her through his thick, darkened sunglasses; or even the sideways look Tseng was providing as he spoke with the President. _They're all keeping tabs on me, watching me, waiting for something to happen so they can prevent whatever they believe will occur. What I now know __**might**__ occur. _

"Hey sweetie, did you miss me?" Stretching across the desk, Reno chastely kissed her temple; Amalia flinched for a moment before being able to recompose herself, though she had a feeling the red-head noticed her recoil.

"So…" She could feel her voice was weak. With her heart thumping in her chest, a sudden nervousness crept over Amalia and held a death grip on her throat. "How was the meeting? Anything important?"

Rufus stepped in, quicker than the blonde had anticipated. "Oh nothing too important, just discussed future plans we have for the Turks and assignments that are coming up."

"Huh…sounds interesting." Laughing, Amalia scratched her head, and laughed some more. All the emotions were bubbling deep within her chest and she had no idea how to control the rage. Taking a look at each one, an overwhelming sense of loneliness was mixed into the bag of unwanted feelings.

Raising an eyebrow, Reno noticed Amalia's upper lip twitching and the way she was folding and unfolding her hands. Something was on her mind, and it wasn't good. "Amalia…is everything ok?"

Taking a moment to close her eyes, Amalia narrowed her eyebrows before directing her attention towards the red-head, the one person who was supposed to be open and honest with her; the one she was supposed to trust wholeheartedly; the one who was supposed to love her unconditionally. But, by the time she opened her mouth, Reno was not expecting her answer.

"No."

_No? What could have happened in the last fifteen minutes or so for her to…_ Reno's thoughts trailed on but his gaze was cast onto the computer screen, and his brain began piecing her actions together. _Oh, son of a…!_

"Would…somebody please care to explain…" Amalia grabbed the computer screen and, with the speed of a snail, turned so everybody in the room could view the file she had opened for viewing. "…what the _fuck_ this is?" Rufus' eyes shot open, Rude turned his head and readjusted his glasses, Elena covered her mouth as a small gasp escaped and Tseng stood motionless, but his eyes betrayed his perfect stature. Reno, on the other hand, his face turned beat red; from anger or embarrassment, Amalia couldn't tell.

The room stayed silent; each individual afraid to speak, afraid to utter a single word. All eyes turned away, except Reno's. He found Amalia's within the instant she turned the screen onto them and he could tell in that instant that what they had was crumbling between them. Reno could read the emotions flooding her eyes and he knew he had betrayed her. When the room stayed in utter silence, Amalia bowed her head and stood, her voice echoed across the room; the venom dripping from each word sliced through the silence no one dared to break.

"I can't believe I trusted each and every one of you!"

Still…there was silence.

Walking away from the desk towards the exit, Amalia could feel the unshed tears burning her eyes, but she would not let them fall – at least, not in front of these people. But as she took her first step forward, the fingers of one of her betrayers formed around her arm, pulling her back. "Amalia…please, wait…"

"Don't touch me," was her reply.

Turning on her heels, Amalia socked Reno straight in the jaw, sending him flying backwards until Rude caught him and steadied the red-head on his own two feet. Chest heaving and arm still extended from the blow, Amalia's rage was building within her and she could feel the power deep within her boiling over. Raising her gaze, Reno was still trying to gather his surroundings and when he could stand without Rude's assistance, his fingers trailed up to his mouth to find a trail of blood seeping from his lip. Looking between his fingers and up towards his beyond furious girlfriend, Reno muttered, "Yeah, I probably deserved that…"

"Yes, you fucking did! Seriously…what the hell is all the shit, Reno?!" She pointed towards the computer for emphasis. "Is this why you've been on long missions for the past year? Is this why each and every one of you acts differently when I'm around?!" All Turks opened their mouths to protest, but Amalia was in no mood for them to form their opinion on the matter. "Either you shut your mouths now, or I'll shut them for you."

And they all diligently closed theirs lips – except one.

"Amalia, please…listen to us. We had to do what we did…" Reno tried to reason with her, but the red-head knew it was a lost cause. She had discovered every piece of information they had on her; everything they discussed, their notes, opinions, plans – all the evidence was out and on display.

"No, Reno. I _won't_ listen to you! How could you keep this from me?"

"I didn't want to keep this from you!"

"Then why did I have to find out in this manner? Huh? Why couldn't you come clean when all this happened… say, oh…" Looking at the screen, Amalia recalled the earliest dated document she had discovered. "_…seven months ago?!_"

"I…" Lowering his head, Reno stared at his hands – hopeless, defeated. The red-head knew that, in that moment, he had lost her, and there was probably no going back. "I…"

"Just…stop, Reno. I don't want to hear it."

"Ashe, please!"

"Amalia…will you listen to me?" The blonde searched the room for the voice and landed on the other blonde. Elena held her hands close to her chest, tears were brimming her eyes and if the incident wasn't regarding the information she had just received, Amalia would've held her friend and questioned what was wrong. When her friend didn't reply, Elena took that as her acceptance to speak. "We didn't want to tell you because… we didn't know how."

Raising an eyebrow, Amalia nearly scoffed at her friend's testament. "You didn't know how, huh? Really?"

"Please…try to understand, Amalia. How were we to approach you with news such as this? What were we supposed to say?" It was Tseng who spoke this time, and Amalia could tell that all Turks were trying to be open and honest. Thing was, it was too damn late for that; they had seven months to come clean.

"No. I'm done – I don't want to hear it."

"_Ashe!_" Once more, Amalia had turned her gaze towards Reno, noticing that he was slowing making his way in her direction. "Listen to me. All of us were scared and didn't know how to react. All of this happened out of nowhere and we thought, to keep you safe, it was best

to keep you in the dark."

The blonde closed her eyes. It had only been about twenty minutes but her head was about to explode; all the newly placed information, the testimonies of the Turks, and now Reno trying to come clean after so long. But...she just couldn't accept it. "What d'you want me to say, Reno, huh? That it's ok everyone kept this a secret from me? That there's somebody out there wanting to _kill_ me? Or, that it's ok you _lied_ to me this entire time?" When he didn't answer right away, she countered her own statement with, "Well, which is it?!"

"Dammit, woman, I was trying to protect you!"

With wide eyes and a mouth that formed a small "o", Amalia didn't know what to say. Normally when Reno had called her his "woman" she would've been excited, hell, even turned on. But in that moment, she felt cheap and pathetic, as if she couldn't protect herself and needed someone to do so for her. In all her life, she had never begged for anyone to serve as her protector; if people volunteered, fine, but Amalia always had a sense to trust herself in order to survive. "Trying to protect me…" her voice was barely a whisper, but the anger coiled within was hinged on every word.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe – we all did! Everyone here has done everything they could to ensure that nothing would happen to you! Standing there, you're not even _trying_ to understand our side."

But she quickly rebutted. "But are you trying to understand mine?! All of you are stating your own reasons for keeping this from me. But try being in my shoes and finding out in this manner. How does that feel?"

All eyes turned to the ground in shame – except Reno; being the red-head that he was, there were, at some points, he would defy Amalia. And this was one of them.

"Babe, I do, I understand completely."

"You weren't that one who was _betrayed_, Reno."

"Please…Ashe, will you listen to me?!"

"No, Reno! You just...you just don't do this! I may not be as experienced at _fucking_ people like you, but I know from personal experience that you don't fuck over someone like this!"

At that, everyone in the room raised their eyes and looked between Reno and Amalia; Rude knew the backstory as did Elena, but Rufus and Tseng could easily tell that something was amiss between the couple; and it wasn't pretty.

Growling, Reno roughly threw a hand into his hair. "Gods woman! All I was doing with this was trying to stop the person behind this and what do I get? All those nights I stayed up watching you, in fear I could wake up the next morning and you would be gone? Was that all for nothing? Because you don't seem to give a damn!"

"What are you wanting, my sympathy? Because too bad for you, I don't have any!"

"Why do I even bother – you'll never understand! You're just a fearful little girl who hides from her fears instead of facing them like the soldier you claim to be!"

_Dead silence._

Reno knew he had gone too far, and when his eyes matched Amalia's, his heart knew she was gone.

Grabbing a spare pen from the top of the desk, Amalia leaped in Reno's direction. Seeking the strength deep within her, she accepted the new power she had been experimenting with for the last few weeks. The raw, un-mastered strength which seeped into her arms and down her legs flowed through her blood and beat into her heart. Tightly grasping the pen, she flew it towards the window on the opposite side of the room, the glass instantly shattering into a thousand broken shards of clear diamonds. With legs bounding against the common office carpet, Amalia surged forwards, not wanting to be around people, not wanting to be seen by people. As she passed Reno, she dodged out of the way as his arm reached to grab hers; but as it missed, the blonde's heels dug into the ground and she pushed with all her might, diving through the now open window. Calling upon the strength of the mako deep within her veins, her body circled with the wind as she landed on the pavemen several stories below and, without glancing back towards the Turks who were calling her name, she jumped onto Shiva and raced out of Edge; the dust from her tracks the only visible evidence she had even existed.

From the window, Tseng and Rude pulled back and cast their gazes towards the other members in the room; Elena was struggling to keep her balance against a desk as her eyes glowed with tears; Rufus idly stood in the same position, his face expressionless; and Reno…the man was starring deeply into his hands, hoping to change the course of the last ten minutes. No one uttered a single word; the tension in the office was as thick as dense fog and no one dared to breathe. Until…

"I _told_ you this would happen!" Reno lunged towards his boss and threw him against the wall, his hands tightly gripping the front lapels of his coat. With all his might, Reno lifted the man off the ground, his blue eyes narrowed in anger at the man who told him to keep everything a secret. "You're the one to swore me to secrecy. _You're_ the one who said she didn't need to know and look at what happened!"

"Reno, put me down!"

"No, sir! Amalia has _left_, because of _you_! She won't listen to any of us and our relationship is most likely over!"

"Reno!" Rude ran up to the side of his friend and frantically pulled his arms away from Rufus, allowing the President to rest his feet firmly on the ground again. "Reno, let him go!"

"Why, just so he can fuck over everything else!"

"That is not the most important, Reno! You were the one who drove her away!"

Reno could feel his arms lacking the strength and they feel to his side. He didn't think Rude's words would affect him so quickly, but hearing that it was him; _he_ was the reason she fled. "Oh my god, I…" With shaky hands, the red-head covered his eyes and howled, his voice echoing throughout the office. "I pushed her away…my words, why…why did I say those words!"

"_Reno!"_

Pulling on his shoulder, Tseng directed Reno's attention towards him. He knew the pain his Second-in-Command was experiencing, but at the moment, there was one key aspect they needed to consider. "Where would she go?" But Reno didn't answer. "Dammit, Reno, tell me! _You_ know her better than anyone else on all of Gaia; so tell me: _where would she go_?!"

Shaking off his insecurities, Reno fully looked Tseng in the eye. The elder Turk was right – right now, they needed to find Amalia. _Amalia…please…please forgive me for what I have done. All I have ever done was to protect you so I…_

Pushing away from the wall, Reno walked towards the window Amalia had smashed with a mere ballpoint pen. His emotions suddenly overwhelmed his senses and one clear liquid of sorrow fell from one eye and the red-head let it fall towards the ground of shattered glass. As he looked at the floor, Reno could vaguely see the image of himself and Amalia in that moment; shattered, heartbroken, betrayed. Both were scared and both had the right to be. Amalia was afraid of Reno not being honest and breaking her trust whereas Reno was afraid to lose her if he told her the truth. But as the man glanced through the clear window, he knew, somewhere deep inside his aching heart, that everything would be alright.

"There's only one place where she would go."

"Good! But where would that be?"

Despite the want of punching a hole through the wall, Reno grinned and a small chuckle escaped his lips. He could hear Rude yelling at him, saying that _"This isn't the time to laugh, you asshole!"_ But it didn't matter; Reno knew where she was and he was going to save her. Turning back around, he noticed all eyes were on him; all the Turks and the President were relying on his ability to read and analyze Amalia's movements. They needed him to find her; but Reno needed them to reach her. Amalia had taken Shiva, which meant that she would be going against the wind; and he would need something just as fast.

"Ready the chopper."

~ oOo ~

**Again, I'm sorry for the late update. As this is my final semester in my Master's Program, I am beyond stressed out. Since I updated last, I've had surgery, got engaged (that's right I'm getting married!), in the midst of planning my wedding, as well as finishing my Graduate Thesis. **

**I hope everyone understands that I'm not giving up on this story. It's just getting good! I just need some time before I'll be able to update more regularly. But I graduate next month. Yay!**

**Until next time!**

**Chocobocolina ~ :3**


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